Since 2015, the OECD has published twelve OECD Food and Agricultural Reviews on Innovation, Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability, which were undertaken at the request of and in collaboration with national authorities. These reviews analyse the extent to which the policy environment improves innovation, productivity and sustainability in food and agriculture, using an analytical framework developed to that effect in the course of OECD work for the Committee for Agriculture and the G20.

A wide range of policies affect innovation, productivity and sustainability in food and agriculture. The following policy lessons emerge from a series of OECD and G20 country reviews on ways to improve the long-term productivity and sustainability performance of the food and agriculture system.

This chapter offers an overview of main policy lessons from country reviews and related work on ways to improve the long-term productivity and sustainability performance of the food and agriculture system. Following a brief presentation of the framework used as a basis for the country reviews and a summary of the main productivity and sustainability challenges faced by the twelve reviewed countries, the chapter outlines the key policy recommendations in the different policy areas covered in the reviews. Finally, knowledge gaps are identified and ways to improve the relevance of the reviews are discussed.

This chapter outlines the main challenges and opportunities for food and agriculture in the reviewed countries, provides an overview of trends in the sector’s productivity and sustainability performance across countries, and identifies main knowledge gaps for a full understanding of the situation.

This chapter summarises recent empirical evidence from the country reviews and related work on drivers of farm performance and policy impacts on agriculture, which support the role of innovation, structural change and natural resource use and climate change in driving farm productivity and sustainability improvements. This review of available evidence also sheds light on a number of important knowledge gaps.

This chapter outlines the diversity of agricultural policy measures and associated support to producers and to general services to the sector in reviewed countries. It discusses the extent to which the different measures affect the drivers of agricultural productivity and sustainability: innovation, structural change, natural resource use and climate change. Outlining the importance of general services to improve the long-term performance of food and agriculture, this chapter consolidates the recommendations for agricultural policies made in country reviews.

This chapter provides an overview of agricultural innovation systems in the reviewed countries. It outlines their diversity in terms of actors, ambitions, governance, funding mechanisms, incentives to invest and collaborate in research and innovation, and mechanisms to encourage adoption, including farm advisory systems. It also acknowledges efforts to improve the impact of public expenditure and make the system more collaborative and demand driven to increase relevance and thus adoption. Finally, it identifies main knowledge gaps in this area and consolidates recommendations to strengthen agricultural innovation systems made in country reviews.

This chapter consider the extent to which the general policy environment facilitates or impede innovation, structural change, and sustainable use of resources in food and agriculture. It covers policies that can facilitate investment, such as regulations, trade, finance and tax policies, as well as policies that foster infrastructure capacity, skills and education and thus facilitate innovation, structural adjustment and more efficient resource use in food and agriculture. Finally, the chapter identifies main knowledge gaps and consolidates recommendations to strengthen the general policy environment in key areas made in country reviews.

This chapter analyses policy incoherencies found in country reviews and related analysis, which slow or prevent progress towards improved productivity and sustainability in food and agriculture. It described responses taken by some of the reviewed countries, identifies main knowledge gaps in this area and suggests possible approaches to minimise these policy incoherencies.