OCOP counts major achievements for the 2025 first-half and sets course for the second-half

Rome - The One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Secretariat Core Members convened their mid-year review to reflect on the progress made in the first half of 2025 and chart priorities for the remainder of the year.

Jingyuan Xia, Executive Secretary of the OCOP Secretariat, presented the updated composition of the Secretariat, now comprising 14 members supporting the implementation of OCOP initiative.

OCOP Progress in the first half of 2025

Hafiz Muminjanov, OCOP Global Coordinator and Lead Technical Officer, highlighted key achievements at the global, regional, and national levels. OCOP, launched by FAO in 2021, supports the sustainable development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs) that are unique to each country and offer market potential and cultural value. By strengthening value chains from production to marketing, OCOP contributes to FAO’s vision of more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. As of July 2025, 95 countries have joined OCOP, promoting 56 SAPs globally.

At the global level, he emphasized the successful Inception Workshop of the FAO–China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Project, which brought together over 100 participants from 15 demonstration countries and 13 Chinese technical experts. China — the biggest single contributor to OCOP — has provided USD 5 million to support the initiative through the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme.

At the regional level, the High-Level Inter-regional Knowledge Exchange on the OCOP Model, co-organized by FAO and the Government of Viet Nam from 15–17 July in Hanoi, convened high-level delegates from 14 African and 3 Asian countries.

At the national level, several countries reported solid progress in developing partnerships and mobilizing resources, as well as the technical training and value chain analysis. New SAPs, such as fisheries from South Africa and sorghum from Sudan, were added to the initiative. 

Looking Ahead: Two Flagship Events in October

Director of FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) Yurdi Yasmi introduced two flagship events planned for October 2025, aligned with FAO’s 80th Anniversary:

• The First FAO Global Exhibition: From Seeds to Foods will be held from 10 to 13 October 2025, at the Park of Porta Capena in Rome. It will serve as a flagship event of the World Food Forum. It will showcase achievements by Members and partners in THREE thematic areas — Agricultural Products, Agricultural Technologies, and Agricultural Foods — highlighting innovation, traditional knowledge, and partnerships for agrifood systems transformation.
• The High-Level Event on OCOP Implementation will be held on 15 October 2025 in the FAO Plenary Hall. The Technical Session will present progress updates, stakeholder insights, and a panel discussion. The Ministerial Session will be opened by FAO Director-General and will feature keynote addresses by OCOP country ministers and a closing remark by the Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. 
  
  

Next Steps and Priorities

To guide OCOP implementation through 2025 and beyond, five priority action areas were outlined:

1. Accelerate the implementation of the OCOP SSC global project, including establishment of project coordination mechanisms.
2. Develop a three-year project workplan at global level, with yearly targets and organize global training activities for 2025–26.
3. Support OCOP implementation at national level, including national OCOP launches, workplan development, and national taskforce establishment.
4. Strengthen communications and partnerships, including upgrading the OCOP website, organizing the OCOP High-Level and global OCOP webinars, publishing key reports, and supporting the first FAL Global Exhibition. 
5. Ensure adequate human resources and internal coordination to sustain effective delivery of OCOP across all levels. 
   

As OCOP enters the second half of 2025, the Secretariat remains committed to building on the momentum and ensuring that countries are well-supported in scaling up the transformation of their agrifood systems through the sustainable development of SAP value chains.