Leveraging agricultural mechanization for achieving sustainable development goals

Agricultural mechanization (AM) plays a critical role in agricultural modernization, influencing productivity, resource use, and environmental sustainability; however, its overall contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains insufficiently understood. By synthesizing 1367 pieces of peer-reviewed evidence using a structured consensus-based evaluation framework, this study systematically assesses the relationships between AM and all 17 SDGs and their 169 targets within the 2030 Agenda. The results indicate that AM acts predominantly as an enabler, positively contributing to 107 targets (63%), primarily through enhanced productivity, improved resource-use efficiency, labor reduction, and technological innovation. At the same time, AM may negatively affect 87 targets (51%), particularly through fossil energy dependence, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, soil compaction, and increasing socio-economic inequalities. An analysis across the four dimensions of sustainable development, including society, economy, environment, and governance, reveals that although AM strongly supports agricultural and economic transformation, substantial trade-offs persist in relation to energy transition, ecological sustainability, and equitable access to mechanization technologies. These findings highlight that the sustainability outcomes of AM are highly dependent on governance, technological pathways, and institutional arrangements. This research offers a practical, evidence-based framework to align mechanization with sustainable and inclusive development.