More than 40 government representatives, technical experts and development partners from tropical countries across Africa, Asia, the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean are gathering in Hainan, China, from 3 to 8 August for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Global Technical Workshop on Tropical Special Agricultural Products, held under the auspices of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) flagship initiative and the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme.

Nepal’s OCOP National Task Force has mobilized key public and private stakeholders to drive immediate, practical actions—including production mapping and quality upgrades—to strengthen the large cardamom value chain through October 2026. By directly bridging critical supply chain and infrastructure gaps, this coordinated push will scale up global export readiness, secure premium market prices, and transform rural livelihoods. 

Bringing together regional experts and institutions, the OCOP session during Asia-Pacific Food Forum showcased how science and innovation can strengthen Special Agricultural Products (SAPs), enhance market access, and support the FAO’s “Four Betters.” The session also featured insights on nutrition, trade, resilience, and emerging technologies, alongside the launch of OCOP Centres of Excellence to further accelerate transformation across the Asia-Pacific region.

The first Asia-Pacific Food Forum (APFF) opened in Brunei Darussalam today, bringing together Ministers, development partners, financial institutions, private sector leaders, scientists, innovators, women farmers and youth to accelerate agrifood systems transformation across the region.

FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative showcased how science and innovation is strengthening value chains of Special Agriculture Products, improving productivity, competitiveness, traceability, and market access.  

In less than a decade, quinoa has gone from an obscure Andean grain to a national priority in Bhutan. With backing from the Royal government and support from FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, farmers have gained the skills to grow this resilient crop and better access markets.

Now cultivation of the “Queen of Grains” is expanding and thriving in Bhutan’s remote mountain villages.

A week-long learning mission under FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative brought together the government agricultural officers and young researchers for an immersive journey into Nepal’s large cardamom heartland. Through field visits in Ilam and Jhapa, the group explored how decades of experience in Eastern Nepal can guide the crop’s expansion into the western districts of Syangja, Baglung and Myagdi. 

FAO Member Countries participating in the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative are set to strengthen national ownership, scale practical innovations, and deepen collaboration to advance sustainable value chains for special agricultural products in the coming years. At the 2025 OCOP Global Annual Coordination Meeting on 17 December 2025, participants were urged to continue their “incredible” work in advancing the initiative worldwide.

The Asia-Pacific OCOP Regional Organizing Group (ROG) meeting endorsed establishing the OCOP Centres of Excellence (COEs).The COEs will be hubs of interdisciplinary knowledge generation and sharing, capacity building and transfer of science, innovation and technology. 

A new global project to advance the cocoa value chain development in Samoa was kicked off today during an inception workshop, co-hosted by FAO and the Government of Samoa. 

The Asia-Pacific pavilion was one of six regional showcases, offering visitors a dynamic journey through the region’s rich and diverse agrifood systems. With more than 20 countries from Asia and the Pacific represented and over 250 products on display, the pavilion presented the region’s extraordinary agricultural heritage, biodiversity and lead role in feeding the planet and shaping the future of global cuisine. 

A newly released report captures the outcomes of the Launch Event and Workshop on the Implementation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative for Pacific Island countries. Held in Nanjing, China from 16–22 October 2024, the event gathered over 120 participants from FAO, governments of Pacific Island nations, and other stakeholders. 

A high-level delegation from the Royal Government of Bhutan, led by the Honourable Younten Phuntsho, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, met with the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Secretariat at FAO headquarters in Rome on 16 October 2025 to further strengthen ongoing efforts under the initiative. 

Experts from across the world shared insights during a high-level event on the implementation of the OCOP initiative, held on 15 October 2025 as part of FAO’s 80th anniversary celebration. The event highlighted how 18 demonstration countries are promoting various Special Agricultural Products with strong potential for sustainable development while nourishing communities and empowering farmers.

Officials and experts from 12 countries attended a September workshop in China on the GIES methodology, co-organized by FAO and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. GIES applies GIS, remote sensing, big data, and IoT to trace product origins and monitor production, strengthening value chains for Special Agricultural Products under FAO’s OCOP initiatives. 

Senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Commerce, along with agricultural trade experts from six South Asian countries, convened virtually for a regional consultation aimed at boosting exports of special agricultural products under the FAO OCOP initiative. 

The pilot aims to support environmentally sustainable production, strengthen digital traceability, and enhance market access for large cardamom in Nepal — bringing scientific expertise, government leadership, and grassroots energy together. Large cardamom is a globally recognized spice which holds immense potential for climate-smart livelihoods, value-added exports, and premium international markets. 

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu set out a multi-layered vision for the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable as he addressed the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 on the last day of an official visit to China after a series of bilateral meetings. The trip also saw visits to innovative farms and research institutions helping to put the transformation into practice and advance the Four Betters agenda - better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.

More than 60 government officials, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders of agrifood systems from 19 Asia and the Pacific countries have completed a dynamic four-day training to maximize the nutritional value of special agricultural products under the OCOP Initiative. This workshop combined online and on-site sessions to equip participants with expertise in food processing, safety, and quality enhancement.

FAO Deputy Director-General Ms Beth Bechdol and Special Advisor to the FAO Director-General Mr Xia Jingyuan visited China to witness the progress of the FAO initiative, which aims to enhance sustainable development of the tea value chain.