Are today’s agricultural policies fit for the future? | Climate change, shifting markets and geopolitical pressures are reshaping food systems as countries balance food security, livelihoods and sustainability.
OECD Policies for the Future of Farming and Food reports assess whether current agricultural policies are fit for the future, providing a framework to understand how countries are responding to these pressures. | |
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| In focus | Food systems today face a triple challenge: Ensuring food security and nutrition for a growing population, providing livelihoods across the food chain, and improving environmental sustainability.
While progress has been made across all three dimensions, important challenges remain. Designing effective policies requires navigating trade-offs, aligning short-term priorities with long-term goals, and ensuring coherence across the system.
OECD country reviews provide a structured, evidence-based assessment of how countries are responding. Drawing on OECD data, including estimates of support and agri-environmental indicators, they evaluate whether policy and innovation frameworks enable sustainable productivity growth and strengthen resilience.
Looking across recent reviews, a common direction is emerging across the European Union, with a growing focus on sustainability, resilience and more performance-based approaches.
At the same time, countries are addressing distinct policy priorities.
For example, Croatia is focusing on structural transformation and improving policy coherence to strengthen competitiveness and rural development, while Spain is prioritising water management and adaptation to climate risks, alongside enhancing productivity and sustainability.
Together, these reviews highlight how different policy contexts contribute to a shared objective: building more productive, sustainable and resilient food systems. |
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The stat | The most recent report, a review of Romania, brings these dynamics into sharp focus. Structural change is underway, but remains uneven:
- Romania has 2.9 million farms (around one-third of the EU total) and the highest share of GDP from agriculture, underlining the sector’s central role in the economy and rural livelihoods.
- A quarter fewer farms in the past 20 years, with a significant increase in average output and income per farm, signaling productivity gains but also gradual transformation.
- Limited access to land, finance and technology among small farms are key barriers slowing restructuring and long-term competitiveness.
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"Romania has made impressive economic and social progress over the last two decades, especially after its accession to the European Union. However, the country continues to face significant economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges."
- Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in Romania |
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Catch-up | Explore more OECD Agriculture and Food Policy Reviews:
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