Global Coordination Meeting Strengthens OCOP Expansion and Impact

Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) convened the Coordination Meeting on Global Projects for the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, supported by the Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC). This virtual event brought together over 70 participants, including FAO officials, national focal points, and technical officers from nearly 20 OCOP project countries across five FAO Regions, to review progress, share lessons learned, and strategize for the initiative’s 2025 expansion. 

Moderated by Yurdi Yasmi, Deputy Executive Secretary of the OCOP Secretariat and Director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division, the meeting provided a platform for collaboration and reflection on OCOP’s progress since its global launch in 2021. 

Jingyuan Xia, Executive Secretary of the OCOP Secretariat and Special Advisor to the FAO Director-General, opened the meeting by emphasizing the initiative’s transformative role.  

Hafiz Muminjanov, Global Coordinator and Lead Technical Officer for OCOP presented an overview of the initiative’s progress and future perspectives. His presentation underscored the importance of technical networks, innovation, and policy support in driving OCOP’s success. 

“Branding national Special Agricultural Products is essential for enhancing their competitiveness in global markets. Through the OCOP initiative, we are helping countries unlock the unique potential of their SAPs, building resilient value chains that drive economic growth and sustainability,” said Yurdi Yasmi. 

Participants reflected on achievements from the first OCOP global project, “Innovative approaches for better plant production” (FMM/GLO/177/MUL), which supported the first five demonstration countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Malawi, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uzbekistan. Shangchuan Jiang, Project Coordinator at the OCOP Secretariat, highlighted key achievements and lessons that have informed the design of subsequent projects, ensuring greater scalability and impact. 

Progress reports on the two ongoing FVC-funded projects showcased OCOP’s reach across 15 countries. Shangchuan Jiang detailed the implementation of “Scaling the Implementation of the OCOP Initiative” (FVC/GLO/184/MUL) by FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division, while Athifa Ali, Project Officer, presented “South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Networks for scaling-up OCOP” (FVC/GLO/210/MUL), which leverages SSTC partnerships to enhance knowledge sharing and collaboration. 

National focal points highlighted key advancements: Bhutan focused on resilience-driven agrifood systems, leveraging Geographical Indications, Environment & Sustainability and Hand-in-Hand investments to support a sustainable quinoa value chain. Algeria shared its sustainable Special Agricultural Product practices, emphasizing synergies with South-South Cooperation, particularly with Türkiye. Tajikistan presented its apricot value chain analysis through FAO-UNIDO collaboration and public-private partnerships.  

Additionally, as the first-round demonstration country, Malawi shared its experience on synergies for supporting OCOP Implementation through innovative approaches, methods, and collaborations. These included resource mobilization for implementation, OCOP-HiHi-DVI integration using digital tools, the Farmer Field School Methodology, Multi-actor Agricultural Innovation Platforms (MAIPs), and the Sustainable Food and Value Chain methodology (SFVC). These efforts highlight Malawi’s commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices and scaling the OCOP initiative. 

“Synergies are at the heart of promoting the OCOP initiative. By fostering collaboration across countries and leveraging innovative approaches, we can unlock the full potential of Special Agricultural Products to transform agrifood systems, drive sustainability, and improve livelihoods globally,” said Xia. 

Closing the meeting, Yasmi underscored the value of partnerships in scaling the initiative. “OCOP is a testament to how global collaboration and synergies can unlock the potential of agricultural value chains,” he stated. 

The meeting reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to leveraging innovation, partnerships, and strategic resource mobilization to expand OCOP’s impact, advancing sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems globally.