The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), extending a decade-long partnership to advance the adoption of sustainable agricultural mechanization (SAM), by farmers worldwide. 

Since 2015, the FAO – CEMA partnership has promoted policy dialogue and collaboration on sustainable, inclusive, and climate-smart mechanization.  It has fostered knowledge exchange, developed best practices, and supported country-level implementation tailored to local needs.  The renewal comes as governments seek practical pathways to raise productivity while cutting emissions and easing labour constraints. 

The renewed MoU expands the scope to include cutting-edge digital and artificial intelligence applications in farming, and continues supporting government policies that encourage the sustainable and adapted use of agricultural machinery. 

Through this collaboration with, FAO has accessed valuable technical expertise and industry insights. Key milestones include the launch of the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization for Africa (F-SAMA) in October 2018 as well as the development of CEMA’s position paper on SAM presented to the European Commission in December 2019. 
Additionally, the two organisations held the first-ever agricultural equipment and machinery exhibition organised during the Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (GAMC) held at FAO headquarters in 2023.

During the MoU renewal ceremony, FAO underscored the partnership’s role in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger by helping small-scale producers increase productivity and incomes while building resilience and shifting to sustainable food production systems