Countries across Asia and the Pacific are joining an initiative to promote and showcase the ‘best of the best’ of their special agricultural products – a move designed to ensure a high level of participation from smallholders to producers to exporters and others all along the value chain.

To help build momentum, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today launched the ‘Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products: One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) in Asia and the Pacific,’ encouraging countries of the Region to join the initiative, developing green value chains and promoting their special agricultural products internationally.

Close to 250 participants from countries across Asia and the Pacific attended the virtual launch, including Ministers of Agriculture, senior government officials, technical experts, and representatives of development partners, research institutes, and private sector. Specialists from other regions of the world also joined the event.

OCOP was launched globally by the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, in September 2021. The launch of this regional, Asia-Pacific Global Action of OCOP aims to develop green and sustainable value chains for special agricultural products, while supporting smallholders and family farmers reap the full benefits of access to a global market, ultimately helping the transformation of current agrifood systems. The ultimate aim is to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all – leaving no one behind.