FAO opens its first Global Conference on Smart Farming
FAO opened its first Global Conference on Smart Farming in Rome on July 1, 2026, helping farmers scale data-driven tools to produce more with less.
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) opened its first Global Conference on Smart Farming on July 1, 2026, at its headquarters in Rome. Held over three days, in person and online, the FAO smart farming conference brought together agriculture ministers, researchers, farmers’ organisations, and private-sector and development partners to speed up the adoption of data-driven farming. The event ran under the theme “Leveraging data and technology for sustainable agrifood systems,” and was opened by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.
FAO framed smart farming as a present necessity rather than a future option. Farmers face climate variability, soil and water degradation, rising input costs, and labour constraints, and the agency argued that data-driven methods must reach small-scale producers, not only large farms.
What the FAO smart farming conference set out to do
The FAO smart farming conference was structured around scaling: how to move working pilots into national systems. A high-level ministerial segment opened the programme, followed by plenary and technical sessions on governance, science, digital innovation, and sustainable production. Parallel sessions covered smart cropping, livestock, fisheries, forestry, food safety, input efficiency, and investment models. A special exhibition featured 29 exhibitors showing practical tools from around the world.
The opening keynote was delivered by Abdul Rahim Jassim Al-Shammari, Minister for Agriculture of Iraq. The ministerial segment included Salem Abdullah Issa Al-Soqtari, Yemen’s Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Fishery Wealth; Zahra Yusuf Ige, Somalia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation; a video message from Uzbekistan’s Minister for Agriculture, Ibrohim Abdurahmonov; and interventions from senior officials in Brazil and Indonesia.
“FAO has made innovation and technology a central priority – and this conference reflects this commitment,” the Director-General said. He added that the methods behind the past fifty years of productivity gains “are reaching their limits,” and pointed to digital connectivity, remote sensing, and soil data systems as the next layer of tools.
How smart farming works
FAO defines smart farming as the combination of data, digital technologies, and scientific knowledge to support better decisions across agricultural production. The aim is to use water, fertilizers, pesticides, energy, and other inputs more efficiently while improving productivity, profitability, and environmental outcomes.
FAO cited a concrete example from Uzbekistan, where low-cost greenhouse innovations enabled vegetable farmers to triple their yields and raise incomes while using less water. The approach draws on protected growing methods similar to the smart greenhouses and soil-free systems used elsewhere, paired with digital advisory tools. Precision techniques such as remote sensing and precision agriculture drone mapping sit within the same toolkit the conference set out to scale.
Where FAO’s smart farming approach is being deployed
FAO has run a dedicated smart farming approach since 2019, starting in Uzbekistan and Viet Nam, with a focus on high-value horticulture, affordable technologies, high-quality inputs, and digital tools. The model is now being replicated in Honduras and Zambia. The table below sets out the confirmed rollout.
| Country | Since | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | 2019 | High-value horticulture, affordable tech, digital tools |
| Viet Nam | 2019 | High-value horticulture, affordable tech, digital tools |
| Honduras | Replication under way | Adapting the FAO smart farming model |
| Zambia | Replication under way | Protected agriculture training, first farmer cohort |
Source: FAO Newsroom (July 1, 2026).
Beyond these country projects, FAO has embedded smart-farming methods into its Science and Innovation Strategy and its Digital Agriculture and AI Roadmap. It pointed to existing programmes that already use data at scale, including the Hand in Hand Initiative, the Desert Locust Early Warning System, and the SoilFER soil-mapping programme. Over the three days, delegates were asked to draft practical recommendations to help countries scale systems that are affordable, inclusive, and reachable by small-scale farmers.
About FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was founded in 1945 and is the UN specialised agency for food and agriculture, based in Rome. Its mandate covers raising nutrition, improving agricultural productivity, bettering the lives of rural populations, and supporting global food security. Under Director-General Qu Dongyu, who has led the agency since 2019, FAO has made digital agriculture and innovation a stated priority, reflected in its Science and Innovation Strategy and Digital Agriculture and AI Roadmap. Its smart farming projects in Uzbekistan and Viet Nam began the same year and now extend to Honduras and Zambia. The first Global Conference on Smart Farming, opened on July 1, 2026, is the agency’s move to turn those scattered projects into a shared agenda for scaling data-driven farming worldwide.
Sources: FAO Newsroom; FAO; Mirage News
Featured image: photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
