Committee on Agriculture (COAG)

About COAG

The Committee on Agriculture (COAG) is one of FAO’s Governing Bodies providing overall policy and regulatory guidance on issues relating to agriculture, livestock, food safety, nutrition, rural development and natural resource management. Established in 1971, the Committee has over 130 Member Nations and generally meets every two years, but may hold additional sessions if needed.

As FAO’s main technical advisory committee on agriculture, COAG is responsible for:

  • Reviewing major agricultural and nutritional problems and proposing concerted action by FAO’s Member Nations;
  • Advising the FAO Council and the Director General on activities relating to agriculture, livestock, food, nutrition and natural resource management, with particular emphasis on all the social, technical, economic, institutional and structural aspects relating to agricultural and rural development in general;
  • Reviewing specific matters relating to agriculture, food and nutrition referred to the Committee.

COAG also provides advice and recommendations to the FAO Conference on global agricultural policy and regulatory matters, and to the FAO Council on matters relating to the Organization’s priorities, programmes and budgets.

Operating in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, the membership of COAG is open to all FAO members. It also welcomes applications for participation as observers from civil society and other organizations.