Senior government officials, policymakers, farmers, researchers, development partners and international organizations gathered at FAO headquarters to mark five years of the  OCOP Initiative, reflecting on achievements to date.  The High-Level Event reviewed progress made since the initiative was launched in 2021 and explored opportunities to scale successful models and accelerate impact for farmers, rural communities and agrifood systems worldwide. 

Special agricultural products from around the world provided visitors with a taste of agricultural diversity at FAO’s second Global Exhibition, From Seeds to Foods at Circo Massimo in Rome. Countries participating in FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative showcased their unique agricultural products through vibrant displays, tastings and storytelling. Visitors discovered the people, knowledge, traditions and biodiversity behind the products, as well as their potential to strengthen value chains, improve livelihoods and reach new markets. 

Traditional farming knowledge and distinctive agricultural products can help countries across the Near East and North Africa (NENA) address food insecurity, water scarcity and rural development, two FAO experts explained during a 30-minute session on the Main Stage of the Exhibition.

FAO, Egypt and Iraq joined forces in Cairo to strengthen expertise in date palm tissue culture and integrated pest management. Organized under FAO’s OCOP initiative and supported by China through South-South Cooperation, the regional training strengthened capacities to improve planting material, manage pests and promote sustainable date palm production.

More than 100 government representatives, technical experts and development partners gathered in Dunhuang to advance practical solutions for sustainable agricultural production in drylands and areas affected by soil salinity.  Participants from countries involved in FAO’s OCOP initiative, including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan, exchanged knowledge with representatives of Chinese research institutions, government authorities and enterprises. Discussions focused on adapting and scaling up technologies for dryland farming, water-efficient production and the sustainable management of saline-alkali soils. 

Officials from agriculture and commerce ministries from 15 Asia-Pacific countries met with trade experts in Beijing to seek ways to facilitate exports of SAPs promoted by the FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative.

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.

Growing high-quality mangoes is important, but farmers can earn more when they have access to processing, reliable buyers, and markets that value their products. Understanding what investors, processors, and consumers need is an important step toward creating more opportunities for farming communities.

The One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Secretariat gathered at FAO headquarters  to take stock of what the initiative has delivered for farmers and national value chains over the first half of the year, while mapping out a practical course for the months ahead and into 2027. 

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, 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.

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.

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.