On July 18, 2024, the Forum joined members of the Global Forum for Farm Policy & Innovation (GFFPI) for a workshop in Washington D.C. to discuss ‘Measuring Sustainability Outcomes to Facilitate Agricultural Trade’. This was a priority identified in the previous workshop, being part of a series of interactive and thought-provoking workshops that brings together representatives from OECD countries and beyond to explore the crucial role of trade and agricultural sustainability.

Nearly 70 participants representing 18 countries discussed the topics of an outcomes-based approach to trade and sustainability, and measuring challenges and opportunities in trade and sustainability. U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor spoke on the importance of trade and sustainability for global food and agriculture.

The findings from the first workshop, held at the OECD, in Paris, in October 2023, were published in a report entitled Advancing the Role of Trade and Agricultural Sustainability. A second paper reflecting the findings of the second workshop is anticipated this autumn.

This recent event in Washington supports the Forum for the Future of Agriculture’s Call to Action, in particular Commitment 5 – Integrating sustainability into supply chains and the global agri-food trade system, leaving no one behind. Our intention is to work with our partners in GFFPI to deepen these initial insights and takeaways to inform global policymakers along with all actors in the agri-food system to develop approaches in trade and supply chains that can further enhance agriculture sustainability.

About GFFPI

In October 2022, four leading independent agricultural organizations from Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United States formed a collaborative initiative known as the Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) to increase the sustainability of agriculture across the world. The purpose of the collaboration is to use existing evidence and emerging research to inform dialogue that can unlock new thinking and ideas. In doing so, the organizations believe that they can increase knowledge and understanding of key gaps and opportunities to deliver better outcomes for more sustainable agriculture around the world.

The founding members of GFFPI are the Australian Farm Institute, the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute, the Farm Foundation (USA) and the Forum for the Future of Agriculture.