Agriculture and fisheries

Well-designed agricultural policies can help farmers meet increasing global demand for safe and nutritious food in a sustainable way. However, some current policies can have negative consequences for food security, markets, the environment, at both the domestic and global levels. The OECD’s regular monitoring of agricultural policies across 54 countries representing three-quarters of global agricultural value-added provides a comprehensive understanding of their nature, implementation and impact, with a view to helping guide governments towards more effective and efficient policy making.

Achieving resilient, sustainable, and productive agriculture and food systems requires innovation. Agricultural innovation means finding new ways of working, adopting new practices, and doing more and better with fewer resources. It’s a vital opportunity for food systems to meet rising global demands while ensuring the sustainable use of scarce natural resources. The OECD supports countries in designing better policies for productive, sustainable, and resilient agriculture. This includes benchmarking the performance of agriculture and food systems, assessing countries' policies, and offering tailored policy guidance. A core focus is how governments and the private sector can collaborate to strengthen agricultural innovation systems and scale up practices that boost both productivity and sustainability.

Agricultural trade plays a vital role in supporting livelihoods for farmers and workers across the agri-food supply chain, while also helping to reduce global food insecurity. A growing share of agro-food trade involves global value chains (GVCs) that span multiple countries, linking different stages of agricultural and food production and processing.

Agriculture plays a critical role in feeding a growing global population, but faces a triple challenge: ensuring food and nutrition security, preserving the environment and safeguarding natural resources for future generations, and supporting sustainable rural livelihoods. Effective agricultural policies are essential to meet these challenges, especially in the face of increasing climate pressures and other emerging risks.

Fisheries and aquaculture provide food for billions of people and play an important role in the local economy and cultural life of coastal communities around the world. Fish products are among the most traded foods and their exports are essential for food security. But fish stocks and ecosystems are under stress from climate change, illegal fishing, excessive fishing pressure and pollution.

Global food systems face a ‘triple challenge’: providing food security and nutrition for a growing population, supporting the livelihoods of millions working along the agri-food supply chain, and doing so in an environmentally sustainable way. Moreover, food systems must become more resilient across all three dimensions.

The OECD Codes and Schemes help streamline international trade and agriculture by simplifying procedures, reducing non-tariff barriers, promoting harmonised standards, and enhancing transparency. By supporting quality control, inspection processes and traceability, they build trust in global markets and contribute to stronger environmental protection.