Africa Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization

Objectives  

• Facilitating knowledge exchange on best practices, approaches and lessons learned from ongoing and prior initiatives.  

• Fostering partnerships among a broad spectrum of relevant stakeholders including through the establishment of a regional SAM Centre.   

• Identifying policies and initiatives to strengthen institutional and human capacities for the establishment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) focused on SAM.  

Expected Outcomes    

• Enhanced integration of SAM into regional and national agricultural development policies.  

• Strengthened regional collaboration on SAM aligned with F-SAMA and GAMC Call to Action.   

• Actionable recommendations and capacity development programmes for scaling SAM across Africa.  

• Shared vision among financing institutions and key stakeholders to advance policies and scalable business models that drive investment in SAM. 

Find the call for Abstract below

Call for Abstracts

Purpose of the Call for Abstract

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with key partners, is organising the Africa Regional Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM).

The event will bring together diverse stakeholders to enhance regional collaboration, foster knowledge exchange and promote sustainable agricultural mechanization practices that address the needs of African farmers.

The Conference aims to accelerate the region’s transition towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that contribute to better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

This call for abstracts seeks to highlight the latest advancements, opportunities, and challenges related to SAM in Africa. Submissions should illustrate how mechanization can transform agrifood systems, ensuring equitable access and delivering significant impacts.

Focus Areas

Submissions should align with one or more of the following themes:  

• Integrated mechanization solutions across the agricultural value chain
• Innovative business models for SAM services
• Mechanization for smallholder farmers and emerging producers
• Digitalization and climate-smart technologies  
• Policies, strategies and institutional innovations for SAM scaling
• Youth and women engagement in SAM
• Conservation agriculture and renewable energy-powered mechanization
• Case studies showing improved productivity, resilience and livelihoods through SAM

Who Should Submit

We welcome abstract submissions from a diverse range of participants, including but not limited to: 

• Agricultural professionals and practitioners including those from the private sector  
• Researchers and academics 
• Policymakers and government representatives
• Students and early-career professionals
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), development agencies, and community organisations

If your work aligns with the conference theme and contributes to advancing knowledge, practice, or policy, then we encourage you to submit an abstract for consideration.

Abstract Submission Guidelines

• Contact details (Name, Organization, Address, Email)
• Author(s) and email(s).
• Title (max 200 characters).
• The language of submission is English or French.
• Abstract (max 3,500 characters).

Submission Process and Deadline

Abstracts should be emailed to:  [email protected] by [15] [August] 2025.  

Review Process and Criteria

All submitted abstracts will undergo a rigorous peer review process conducted by the Evaluation Committee, composed of experts in the conference’s thematic areas. Each abstract will be assessed based on the following criteria: 

• Relevance: Alignment with the conference theme and topics. 
• Innovation: Novelty and contribution to the field. 
• Clarity: Clear presentation of objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. 
• Impact: Potential significance and applicability of the findings or insights. 

Authors of the highest ranked submissions will be invited to present orally at the conference, while others may be offered the opportunity to participate in the poster session.