Food, how to put the production, distribution and marketing models of family farming at the center of the interventions

ROME – There Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products: One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) is a five-year program (2021-25) launched by FAO to promote agricultural products with unique qualities and characteristics on a global, regional and local level, which can contribute to the transformation towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, precisely to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, inspired by the basic idea of ​​leaving no one behind. By putting the production, distribution and marketing models of smallholders and family farming at the center of the interventions, OCOP helps countries to exploit their potential and identify special agricultural products adapted to their agroecological production systems and national heritage. or cultural, ensuring better access to stable markets and acting as a key entry point to achieve defined priorities. Over 70 members from 5 nations – Bangladesh, Egypt, Malawi, Trinidad and Tobago and Uzbekistan – have expressed interest in promoting the green development of over 50 special agricultural products.

Coordination to face the challenges. The OCOP national projects will coordinate financial, technical and human resources to address the main challenges identified for Special Agricultural Products (SAPs) and support farmers and other stakeholders to develop the value chain. OCOP will focus its efforts on products from arid lands, which represent over 43% of the world’s total surface area and are home to around 2 billion people, of which around 90% are in developing countries; the tropics, which make up 40% of the earth’s surface and host over 40% of the world’s population, and the mountains, which cover 25% of the world’s land surface and directly support 12% of the world’s population.

Respect for agricultural practices and cultural heritage. Special agricultural products (SAPs) have unique qualities and characteristics linked to their geographical position, agricultural practices and cultural heritages. These are important examples of underutilized resources, which have not received the same attention as commonly known agricultural products, but which can significantly contribute to ensuring food security and healthy diets, supporting a sustainable bioeconomy and improving livelihoods and economic growth of farmers, while protecting the environment and biodiversity. SAPs include all types of agricultural products, with the potential to become national or local agricultural products and to be integrated into local, regional and global markets and trade. In this context, Global Action was developed on the basis of FAO’s renewed mission. Global action will promote inclusive, profitable and environmentally sustainable value chains by optimizing the structure, functionality and service of SAP manufacturing systems while minimizing agricultural chemicals, waste and losses , by maximizing integrated agricultural profits, to aim for efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agricultural production.

How to build more sustainable food value chains. It is therefore a key initiative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to help countries promote their distinctive food and agricultural products. L’Global action on a priority product (OCOP) aims – in essence – to build more sustainable food value chains, support families and small farmers to be profitable and improve their livelihoods, minimize the use of chemicals, reduce food losses and waste and negative impacts on the environment. A total of 78 nations from five FAO regions have been designated as potential project countries, planning to promote 50 Special Agricultural Products (SAPs) under the OCOP, which was launched by FAO last year.

A unique business model helps smallholder farmers. OCOV’s unique business model aims to help smallholder farmers increase their food production sustainably, generate higher incomes and improve livelihoods by putting farmers and their communities at the center. The first phase, which is expected to start in January 2023, will aim to include most of the applications received from the 78 countries. These will mainly include action plans based on open field and horticultural crops, which will reflect the type of requests made, but not completely limited to them. The second phase will cover the remaining (and potential new) countries, draw on the experience gained with OCOV and will start in July 2023.

The countries of the first demonstration project. I’m:

– the Bangladeshrepresenting the Asia Pacific region, which will promote jackfruit;

– Egyptrepresenting the region of the Near East and North Africa, which will promote the date palm;

– Malawirepresenting the African Region, which will promote bananas;

– Trinidad and Tobagorepresenting the Latin American and Caribbean region, which will promote cocoa;

– Uzbekistanrepresenting the Europe and Central Asia region, which will promote sweet cherry.

These five countries of the OCOP Implementation Demonstration Project will share and disseminate their experiences, innovations and technologies while developing their SAPs. A dedicated FAO global OCOP website was also launched which will be a useful platform for sharing information and lessons learned during implementation.

Coordination to face the challenges. The OCOP national projects will coordinate financial, technical and human resources to address the main challenges identified for SAPs and support farmers and other stakeholders to further develop the value chain. OCOP will focus its efforts on products from arid lands, which represent over 43% of the world’s total surface area and are home to around 2 billion people, of which around 90% are in developing countries; the tropics, which make up 40% of the earth’s surface and host over 40% of the world’s population, and the mountains, which cover 25% of the world’s land surface and directly support 12% of the world’s population.