The Africa Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (ACSAM), organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, is a key event inviting media participation to highlight advancements in sustainable farming practices across the continent. The conference opens on Tuesday, 3 February, with an official session featuring an address by the Prime Minister of Tanzania, Mwigulu L. Nchemba, who will launch the Tanzania Agricultural Mechanization Strategy. The opening also includes remarks from prominent figures such as Moses Vilakati, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Charles Spillane, FAO Chief Scientist, and Chef Fatmata Binta, FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa.
The conference offers a broad range of activities for media coverage, including a ministerial high-level panel sharing perspectives on policies and programs to promote sustainable agricultural mechanization, youth-focused events exploring mechanization services and job opportunities, and a Youth Masterclass on mechanization hire services as a business. Additional highlights include exhibitions of machinery and posters, field visits demonstrating sustainable mechanization in practice, one-on-one interviews with experts, and a closing session summarizing key outcomes and commitments.
Sustainable agricultural mechanization (SAM) is recognized as a critical driver of Africa’s agrifood systems transformation, boosting productivity, reducing labour intensity, and helping farmers adapt to climate change. Since 2018, FAO and the African Union have promoted the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (F-SAMA), and recent progress at regional and national levels, such as collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the SAM4CSA roadmap and the adoption of national mechanization strategies, indicates growing momentum that can be scaled across the continent.
The ACSAM conference comes at a pivotal moment for Africa’s agricultural sector, convening policymakers, development partners, private sector actors, researchers, youth, and farmers to strengthen regional collaboration and support the development of national and regional strategies on sustainable mechanization. Through high-level dialogue, technical exchanges, exhibitions, youth activities, and field visits, the event aims to translate policy commitments and innovations into practical, scalable solutions that drive real-world impact for African agriculture.
