The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially opened its inaugural Global Conference on Smart Farming, declaring that data-driven, precision agriculture is an absolute economic necessity to combat climate change and resource degradation. 

Convened on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, the hybrid summit brought together international agriculture ministers, researchers, and technology innovators to fast-track and scale affordable smart-farming systems globally.

The landmark event addresses mounting global pressures on agrifood sectors, including climate variability, soil depletion, skyrocketing input costs, and critical rural labour shortages. 

Opening the plenary, the FAO Director-General, Dr Qu Dongyu, stated that traditional methods that drove agricultural productivity over the last half-century have officially hit their structural limits. 

The organisation is championing digital connectivity, specifically combining remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and soil mapping data, as a primary multiplier to help smallholders produce higher quantities of food using significantly fewer resources.

The opening session featured a high-profile ministerial segment emphasising direct field applications over theoretical design. 

Highlighting practical solutions, delegates reviewed an ongoing FAO project in Uzbekistan where low-cost, smart greenhouse innovations have enabled local vegetable growers to triple their crop yields while drastically reducing freshwater consumption. 

Key structural presentations were delivered by global leaders, including Iraq’s Minister for Agriculture, Abdul Rahim Jassim Al-Shammari, and Somalia’s Deputy Minister, Zahra Yusuf Ige, alongside digital video briefs from the agricultural ministries of Brazil, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan.

A core focus of the three-day conference rests on ensuring technological equity, particularly closing the digital divide for youth and female entrepreneurs in rural areas. 

Dr. Qu highlighted that advanced frameworks under the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy, such as the Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the SoilFER mapping program, are designed to make technology deeply inclusive. 

The summit concluded its opening leg with the inauguration of a specialised technology exhibition showcasing cutting-edge, affordable tools from 29 global exhibitors, establishing a collaborative baseline for countries to develop coherent national investment plans before the close of the conference.

Source:  Food and Agriculture Organisation