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 One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative marked a year of significant progress and organizational strengthening, as the Secretariat confirmed a leadership transition and reviewed major achievements during its Core Members Meeting held on 11 December 2025. 

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu concluded a two-day mission to Liberia, during which he met with the country’s highest authorities and launched a project focusing on coffee as part of Liberia’s inaugural participation in FAO’s One Country One Priority Product Initiative (OCOP). Liberia selected Coffee Liberica, a rare and indigenous coffee species, as its priority crop.

The visit highlighted Liberia’s efforts to transform its agrifood systems and improve productivity on its 1.6 million hectares of arable croplands and capitalize on the country’s abundant rainfall.

FAO and its regional partners strengthened strategic coordination, partnerships, and implementation planning for the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative in Europe and Central Asia, following the second meeting of the Regional Organizing Group held on 5 December.

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. 

From the vegetable fields of Luve to the highlands of Nkhaba, Eswatini’s youth and women farmers are writing a new chapter in the country’s agricultural story. Supported by FAO through the Technical Cooperation Project, young smallholders are shifting from subsistence to commercial production, building resilience against climate shocks, and accessing new markets through innovation.

Lesotho is scaling up potato production to strengthen food security, enhance rural livelihoods, and build climate resilience under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative. The potatoes have emerged as a strategic agricultural commodity, catalyzing increased productivity and new commercial opportunities for smallholder farmers.

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. 

From 10 to 12 September 2025, the FAO Lebanon booth at the AGRI Lebanon Exhibition was buzzing with energy as visitors gathered to learn more about the FAO “One Country One Priority Product” (OCOP) Initiative. The event offered families and children from across Lebanon an enjoyable day filled with food tastings by Lebanese chefs and a variety of engaging workshops and activities promoting eco-friendly practices.

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.

High-level event at FAO highlights progress, partnerships, and rallies Members to scale up sustainable agricultural value chains worldwide

Do you know that more than 95 Member Nations are promoting 56 special agricultural products under FAO OCOP initiative? These products are chosen by countries for their cultural significance, exceptional quality and global market potential.  

Do you want to see – and taste – some of these products? Join us at the First FAO Global Exhibition: From Seeds to Foods, taking place from 10 to 13 October at the Park of Porta Capena in Rome. Farmers, producers, scientists and food enthusiasts from more than 140 Member Nations will come together to share their stories, innovations and products. 

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. 

FAO, through the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative and Soil Doctors Program, partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise to conduct a Soil Sampling Training in Central Farm, Belize. The training targeted coconut field technicians from the private sector as well as extension officers to improve soil health management in the coconut sector, a key commodity under OCOP in Belize.