As 2025 draws to a close, the year stands out for both the big gains and continued challenges faced by the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Climate change, shifting market dynamics and an increasingly complex global geopolitical environment continued to influence how countries approach their food and marine systems. Yet what equally defined the year was a steady momentum of international dialogue. Throughout 2025, discussions unfolded across key platforms, from the 17th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference and the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, to the 10th Our Ocean Conference in Busan, the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, the G20 Agricultural and Food Security Ministerial Meetings in Cape Town, the OECD Global Forum on Agriculture in Paris and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém. Throughout these gatherings, governments and partners re-engaged on shared challenges, exchanged perspectives and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening food systems and safeguarding the ocean.
For the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate, these conversations provided important opportunities to share evidence, compare experiences and support policy making. A significant part of our work in 2025 focused on helping countries better understand the evolving landscape and the policy tools available to respond, adapt and plan ahead.
The Directorate’s data and analysis on agriculture played a central role. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025, part of a long-standing collaboration, continued to provide forward-looking insights into expected trends in production, consumption and trade over the coming decade. The updated Policy Inventory of Mitigation Actions in Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (PIMA AFOLU) offered a clearer view of how countries are designing and implementing mitigation efforts across related sectors. The Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation report, a global reference on government support to agriculture, offered a detailed picture of the extent and nature of such support. And further analysis on agricultural environmental performance, export restrictions on staple crops and the carbon footprint of agri-food products helped inform discussions on how to balance productivity, sustainability and resilience within the sector.
These analytical contributions also fed into global policy discussions. At COP30, the Agrizone provided a platform for exchanges with senior policymakers on sustainable agri-food trade and the OECD Codes and Schemes, helping connect climate and agriculture agendas and highlighting the role of standards, data and co-operation in supporting more sustainable food systems.
Engagement beyond OECD membership also remained a strong feature of the Directorate’s work in 2025, particularly through the OECD Codes and Schemes. Activities and exchanges with partner countries took place across the globe, from India and Morocco to Kazakhstan, highlighting the global relevance of this work. At the same time, the reach of the OECD Seed Schemes expanded further, with new members Paraguay and Burkina Faso joining in 2025.
Alongside its engagement with countries, the OECD continued to support international scientific co-operation through its Co-operative Research Programme on Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems (CRP). In 2025, the programme sponsored seven international events and 19 individual research fellowships, involving 16 countries altogether.
2025 also saw important advances in governance and transparency for fisheries. The adoption of the OECD Recommendation on Eliminating Government Support to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing marked a significant achievement in uniting countries under a common goal. Together with the release of the OECD Review of Fisheries 2025, we contributed to global efforts to reduce harmful support, improve data availability and strengthen the sustainability of marine resources. This work helped deepen international dialogue on how to support healthy ocean ecosystems and the communities whose livelihoods depend on them.
What has played out in 2025 across agriculture, food systems and fisheries reaffirmed the importance of high-quality evidence and constructive engagement among countries. It also showed how closely linked these challenges are, from food affordability and nutrition to the long-term sustainability of fisheries management.
As we move into 2026, ongoing co-operation around data, analysis and policy recommendations will remain central as countries respond to emerging trends. The OECD will continue to support its Members and Partners as they work towards more resilient and sustainable food and marine systems.
For more information on OECD work on agriculture and fisheries, visit:
https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/agriculture-and-fisheries.html
