WFF 2025: Special event boosts momentum for the implementation of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative | FAO News

Rome – At the World Food Forum 2025 in Rome, the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a high-level event to galvanise global efforts to accelerate the implementation & impact of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative. OCOP is a flagship initiative that helps countries strengthen the value chains of crops, forestry, fishery & livestock products.

Launched in 2021 by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, the OCOP initiative empowers countries to promote Special Agricultural Products (SAPs) with high potential for sustainable development as part of efforts to build resilient & inclusive agrifood systems worldwide. Today, 95 countries are promoting 56 SAPs across all regions.

Ahead of FAO’s 80th anniversary & World Food Day on 16 October, the OCOP event showcased ongoing projects while reinforcing political commitment, enhancing technical collaboration, & strengthening partnerships among governments, research institutions, & the private sector.

In his opening remarks, the FAO Director-General underscored OCOP’s role in translating FAO’s vision of transforming agrifood systems into action & urged countries to continue their efforts to achieve meaningful change.

“Countries are harnessing their agricultural strengths to drive inclusive, sustainable development that connects farmers to markets & consumers to healthier food,” the Director-General said.

He emphasised that collective actions are the driving force behind this success.

“The true engine of OCOP is partnerships among the different key players,” he said.

“Through OCOP we are delivering real meaningful change especially for small scale farmers & rural communities. Ministers & other key partners are very important. You are champions of OCOP on the ground & you are leading the political commitment & implementation,” the Director-General added.

In his keynote address, King Letsie III of Lesotho lauded FAO’s vision in developing the initiative, highlighting how it is helping his country strengthen the value chain of its priority crop – the potato – to tackle production challenges & structural constraints such as limited access to quality seeds, weak market linkages, & low levels of mechanization. The King cited Lesotho’s efforts, supported by FAO, to build partnerships aimed at establishing a domestic seed system as a key example.

In their statements to participants, Algeria’s Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development & Fisheries, Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid & Bangladesh’s Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture

highlighted their countries’ progress & perspectives on OCOP implementation, underscoring its role in nourishing communities, empowering farmers, & protecting the planet. Albania’s Minister for Agriculture & Rural Development, Andis Salla, also addressed participants via a video message.

They all emphasized the need to scale up collaboration, knowledge sharing & resource mobilization.  

Global reach & growing impact

Since its launch, OCOP has rapidly expanded, aiming to increase access to healthy diets, improve farmers’ livelihoods, enhance access to nutritious food, & reduce environmental impacts.

From Bangladesh’s jackfruit & China’s low-carbon tea to Malawi’s bananas, Uzbekistan’s sweet cherries, & Trinidad & Tobago’s cocoa, OCOP projects are transforming value chains across all regions.

In Egypt, the initiative is opening new markets for date palms. In Lebanon, it is revitalising chickpea production.  &, in Brazil, it is helping expand markets for the native fish Tambaqui. These examples demonstrate how OCOP adapts to diverse ecological & cultural contexts — from tropical to dryland to mountainous regions — offering scalable models for sustainable agrifood transformation.

The implementation of OCOP is supported with over $20 million, advancing sustainable production, technology transfer, & capacity development. China — the largest single contributor — has provided $5 million through the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme. OCOP also aims to strengthen synergies with FAO’s other flagship initiatives, including the Hand-in-Hand, Digital Villages & Green Cities initiatives.

OCOP is a key tool for accelerating progress in the implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 & the Four Betters, which advocates for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, & a better life, ensuring that no one is left behind.