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 will require innovation. Innovation in agriculture means learning to do things differently, to do different things, and to do more and better with less. It is an opportunity for food systems to deliver on challenging new demands, while ensuring the sustainable use of scarce natural resources. The OECD is helping support countries in developing better policies for productive, sustainable and resilient agriculture through work to benchmark the performance of agriculture and food systems, assess countries' policies and provide tailored policy advice. A focus of this work is how governments and the private sector can work together to strengthen agricultural innovation systems and foster innovative practices that increase productivity and sustainability.

Agricultural trade plays a crucial role in providing livelihoods for farmers and people employed along the food supply chain and contributes to reducing global food insecurity. A growing share of agro-food trade involves global value chains (GVCs), where the different stages of agricultural and food production processes are spread over several countries.

The agriculture sector faces the triple challenge of providing sufficient and nutritious food for an increasing global population, while at the same time preserving the environment and natural resources for future generations and maintaining sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. Policies have a key role to play in tackling these challenges, while addressing mounting pressures from climate change and other risk factors.

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.

Food systems worldwide face a “triple challenge”: to provide food security and nutrition for a growing population, to contribute to the livelihoods of millions of people working along the food supply chain, and to do so in an environmentally sustainable way. Moreover, food systems need to become more resilient across those dimensions.

The OECD Codes and Schemes aim to facilitate and streamline international trade by simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency, reducing non-tariff barriers to trade, promoting harmonisation of standards, and enhancing environmental protection. They help to strengthen market confidence by assuring quality control, providing for inspections, and improving product traceability.