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OCOP’s unique business model aims to help smallholder farmers increase their food production in a sustainable way
A key initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to help countries promote their distinctive food and agricultural products has taken a major step forward with the first five demonstration countries named – Bangladesh, Egypt, Malawi, Trinidad and Tobago and Uzbekistan.
The Global Action on One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) aims to build more sustainable food value chains, support family and smallholder farmers to be profitable and improve their livelihoods, minimise the use of chemical inputs and natural resources, reduce food loss and waste, and limit the negative impacts on the environment.
Altogether 78 nations from five FAO regions have been designated as potential project countries, planning to promote 50 Special Agricultural Products (SAPs), under OCOP, which was launched by FAO last year.
The first phase, expected to start in January 2023, will aim to include a large part of the applications received from the 78 countries. These will include mainly SAPs based on field and horticulture crops, reflecting the type of submissions made, but not fully restricted to these.
The second phase will cover the remaining countries (and potential new ones), draw on experience gained with the OCOP, and would start in July 2023.
Image credit- FAO