On 19 and 20 May 2025, CSAM participated in the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development held in Shaanxi, China. The event was hosted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Committee and the Provincial Government of Shaanxi Province. Other event organizers included: the SCO Secretariat; Foreign Affairs Office of Shaanxi Provincial Committee; Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Shaanxi Province; Xi’an Municipal Government; and the Administrative Committee of Yangling High-tech Industry Demonstration Zone. The forum convened delegates and representatives from several SCO Member States, observers and dialogue partners, and global stakeholders including government agencies, research and educational institutions, private sector leaders, civil society groups, and international organizations to deliberate on advancing poverty alleviation and sustainable development agenda.

Dr. Yutong Li, Head of CSAM, attended the event and delivered a keynote address, underscoring the role of sustainable agricultural mechanization as a transformative tool to address pressing global challenges, including climate change, land degradation, food insecurity and poverty. She emphasized that mechanization can foster inclusivity in the agricultural sector, enhance productivity and operational efficiency, promote environmental sustainability, and strengthen value chain development, particularly when integrated with innovative and digital technologies such as precision agriculture, remote sensing, data analytics, and AI-driven decision support systems. To unlock this potential, she stressed the need to bridge the digital divide, ensure affordability and accessibility of technologies and invest in skills development and rural infrastructure. Dr. Li called for the intensification of collaborative efforts for building an enabling ecosystem rooted in policy, innovation, investment, and knowledge sharing to eliminate poverty, safeguard food security, and advance climate-resilient economies. She also highlighted CSAM’s ongoing initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region to promote the adoption of cutting-edge agricultural machinery technologies and scalable innovations.

During the forum, delegates also visited the Yangling High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone-SCO Demonstration Base for Agricultural Technology Exchange and Training, Yangling Seed Industry Innovation Centre, Yangling Smart Agriculture Demonstration Park, a Field Exhibition of Water-Saving Technologies and Equipment for Arid Region Agriculture, a Rural Revitalization Demonstration Village and Yangling International Kiwi Fruit Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park.