FAO opens first Global Conference on Smart Farming to accelerate innovation for farmers

ROME, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 02nd Jul, 2026) Smart farming is no longer a future ambition — it is becoming essential for helping farmers produce more with fewer resources while strengthening resilience, rural development and agrifood systems. That was the central message as the food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) opened on Wednesday its first Global Conference on Smart Farming, bringing together global leaders, ministers, researchers, farmers, innovators and the private sector to accelerate the adoption and scaling of smart farming systems.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu opened the Global Conference, which was attended by agriculture ministers, policymakers, researchers, farmers’ organisations, private sector representatives, development partners, and women and youth leaders.

With farmers facing increasing pressures from climate variability, soil and water degradation, rising input costs, and labour constraints, smart farming is an urgent necessity and must be accessible to small-scale producers.

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“FAO has made innovation and technology a central priority — and this conference reflects this commitment,” the Director-General said.

Held under the theme “Leveraging data and technology for sustainable agrifood systems,” the hybrid conference explores practical ways to scale smart farming systems while showcasing innovations that promote youth and women’s entrepreneurship and digital skills.

“The approaches that drove agricultural productivity over the past fifty years are reaching their limits,” Qu said, adding that working together smartly can open up new potential.

Conference sessions cover topics from precision livestock farming and smart cropping systems to youth and women’s entrepreneurship, governance, and investment and partnership.

Over the next three days, participants will develop practical recommendations to help countries scale smart farming systems that are affordable, inclusive, and accessible to farmers everywhere.