Machine power that empowers

03/02/2026

Today, a new wave of innovation is redefining what mechanization means for agriculture, and agriculture in Africa in particular. Early mechanization efforts on the African continent, particularly in the 1960s and 70s, came with great hopes but yielded limited results. Large tractors and imported machinery were often mismatched to end users and the local realities of small plots, poor road networks and limited access to spare parts and repair services. Many programmes faltered once the equipment broke down or maintenance and operation costs became too much.

Now, with a focus on sustainability, inclusivity and local innovation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working with countries across Africa to deploy machines that fit the context, and still reduce drudgery and open doors for women and youth.

Here are five countries where farmers are making leaps in agricultural livelihoods thanks to sustainable agricultural mechanization:

1. Ghana: Faster fonio processing

In Ghana, a collaboration between FAO, the country’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture and FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa chef Fatmata Binta is helping women farmers to process fonio more efficiently.

Fonio is a nutritious ancient cereal. Its processing is labour-intensive in that the sheaves are usually threshed, and the grains washed and dried– all by hand, in a process that can take up to three days. Because the grains are extremely small, they are often contaminated by sand often gets mixed with the grains during the harvest and processing. After washing, for instance, the grains are often dried on the ground which can add back impurities, requiring consumers to wash the grain again before they are clean and ready for cooking.

Under the project, new machines were introduced that mill and dehull the grains in a fraction of the time. Drying techniques off the ground were also introduced, and the overall result has been safer, higher-quality grains that fetch better market prices.

2. Nigeria: Drones take on farming

In Nigeria, Femi Adekoya, known as “The Flying Farmer”, is using agricultural drones to transform how crops are managed on small- and medium-sized farms. He uses these high-tech machines for crop monitoring and field mapping, enabling farmers to identify early pest outbreaks, nutrient deficiencies and water stress. Drones are also used for precision spraying of pesticides and liquid fertilizers, enabling controlled application, reduced chemical use, lower costs and increased safety.

Beyond operating drones himself, Adekoya is training other young agripreneurs in drone operation, maintenance and data interpretation, thereby creating new service-based business opportunities in rural areas.

His work has been amplified by FAO at regional and international events, spotlighting new pathways for youth employment along product value chains in modern, technology-driven agrifood systems.

3. United Republic of Tanzania: farming robots

At the United Republic of Tanzania’s Sokoine University of Agriculture, engineers in its Electronics and Precision Agriculture Laboratory have developed a ‘farming robot’ that moves methodically between rows of crops, spraying inputs with precision and efficiency. The university, in collaboration with the private sector, is also developing the Mobi Power tractor- a compact, domestically manufactured, multi-functional machine for ploughing, planting, spraying, mowing and transporting. Its small size means that it is suitable to manoeuvre through the narrow tracks and irregular plots that are typical of smallholder farms, while local production means more affordable and easier accessed maintenance and repairs.

Such innovations reflect the type of context-specific, inclusive mechanization solutions that FAO promotes through policy guidance, Farmer Field Schools, multistakeholder convenings demonstrations and other knowledge-sharing mechanisms.

4. Rwanda: Rural innovators emerge

In Rwanda, a national initiative born out of FAO’s Global Innovation Challenge on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization is tapping into youth-inclusive solutions. Through Farmer Field Schools, smallholder farmers are gaining access to practical tools like mobile solar grain and tuber dryers, cassava chippers and mechanized threshers to minimize manual labour, save time and reduce post-harvest losses.

With funding and technical support from FAO, the project is also training youth as machine operators, technicians and service entrepreneurs. By combining hands-on learning with business mentoring, the initiative is contributing to the creation of a generation of rural innovators who see mechanization not as replacing jobs, but creating better, more skilled employment.

5. Benin: Mechanized instead of manual

Across Africa, women are the backbone of agrifood systems. Yet, the tools they use are often rudimentary and require hours of hard manual labour. A project implemented by FAO and financed by Germany’s Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), introduced practical, easy-to-use machines for rice, cassava and soybean processing to 15 cooperatives. The project replaced back-breaking manual work with small-scale mechanized tools including a rice dehusker and parboiler, and a cassava chipper which crushes the tough, peeled root into a mash for drying and further processing into gari or flour.

With more output in less time and higher-quality products, the women were able to run profitable processing businesses and supply the produce to local markets.

By providing neutral spaces for exchange and showcasing locally developed solutions that respond to farmers’ needs, FAO is helping to accelerate learning and support the scaling up of sustainable agricultural mechanization across Africa.