Tbilisi, Georgia – Under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Georgia hosted the official visit of Professor Yining Xia, Chief Chinese Expert from the Institute of Food Science and Technology of China from 24 to 26 June, with support from the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme. The mission aimed to advance the sustainable development of Georgia’s wine industry - the country’s designated Special Agricultural Product under the OCOP initiative.

Through the OCOP initiative, FAO and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) trained over 170 farmers, nursery operators and technical specialists in sustainable ginger production and innovative seed propagation techniques. By promoting clean planting material, disease management and single bud technology, the initiative is strengthening the resilience, productivity and long-term competitiveness of Jamaica's ginger value chain.

Through the OCOP initiative, the Republic of Moldova has established three Farmer Field Schools that equip table grape producers with practical, field-based training to meet evolving market demands and EU quality standards. By strengthening good agricultural practices, post-harvest management and long-term local capacity, the initiative is improving export competitiveness, enhancing resilience across the value chain, and supporting more sustainable rural livelihoods.

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. 

Lesotho is strengthening its national capacity to develop a more sustainable and productive potato sector through a series of technical exchanges, field visits and training events supported by FAO's One Country One Priroity Product (OCOP) initiative.

Potatoes are becoming increasingly important as countries face rising shocks to agrifood systems, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Director-General QU Dongyu said today during the main global observance of the International Day of Potato 2026, hosted by the Kingdom of Lesotho. 

Uzbekistan is strengthening its capacity to develop a more sustainable and resilient sweet cherry sector through a series of targeted technical trainings and field exchanges implemented under FAO's OCOP initiative supported by the FAO–China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme.

The Government of Uzbekistan and FAO are scaling up efforts to strengthen the sweet cherry value chain through a new FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) project under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative. As a major milestone of this collaboration, a regional workshop and training on the OCOP initiative for Europe and Central Asia was held in Namangan from 18 to 20 May 2026.

Leaders and experts called for a strategic shift toward blended finance and public-private partnerships to transform national agricultural strategies into sustainable economic engines and accelerate agrifood system transformation across Europe and Central Asia. 

A delegation from the Kingdom of Lesotho has concluded a strategic study tour in Peru aimed at transforming its potato sector under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative through innovation, knowledge exchange and international partnerships. Held from 2 to 9 May 2026, the mission brought together policymakers, researchers and farmer representatives from both countries to explore how Peru’s globally recognized potato innovations can be adapted to Lesotho’s agricultural context. 

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.

FAO is stepping up efforts to develop the value chains of special agricultural products in Africa under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative. These efforts are being reinforced through a global project supported by the FAO–China South-South Cooperation Programme, to help countries translate priority agricultural products into drivers of food security, rural livelihoods, and sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. 

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.  

FAO organized the first Project Steering Committee meeting for the implementation of the OCOP global project supported by the FAO–China South-South Cooperation Programme. The meeting set out the strategic direction, governance framework, and operational priorities needed to move the project into full-scale implementation.

FAO is strengthening Guinea-Bissau’s cashew value chain under the OCOP initiative by improving farming practices, diversifying crops and supporting local processing. These efforts aim to boost productivity, enhance sustainability and increase year‑round income for rural communities.

Albania has taken a major step to protect its iconic chestnut forests, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) strengthened national efforts by signing a new Cooperation Agreement with six northern municipalities. The agreement expands the successful Tropojë pilot and launches a coordinated nationwide effort to combat the devastating Asian chestnut gall wasp supported by FAO's OCOP initiative.

Chickpeas have been at the heart of Lebanese cuisine for generations. From hummus to falafel, they are woven into the country’s cultural identity. Local production, however, has long struggled to meet domestic demand.

FAO’s One Country, One Priority Product initiative is helping farmers reclaim this legacy crop through improved access to quality seeds and better agronomic practices. In doing so, the chickpea sector is strengthening rural livelihoods and preserving the culinary heritage that has always been at the heart of Lebanese life.

With the support of FAO, Tajikistan has begun implementing measures to ensure the sustainable development of its apricot production sector. The initiative is being carried out under FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative.

The Government of Iraq and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have officially launched implementation of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative in Iraq, with date palm as the country’s special agricultural product. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture, and with technical support from FAO, the initiative will strengthen the entire date palm value chain from production and processing to marketing and access to global markets. 

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.