NOTE: Germany has reported only semi-aggregated data for part of the BMZ data for this release (approximately EUR4 billion), due to an internal transition of their IT systems. Granular data on recipients, sectors, and policy markers were not available for submission to the OECD at the time of publication. Therefore, any data including Germany is preliminary.

How is ODA for agriculture evolving over time?

ODA to agriculture declined 21% from US$10.9 billion in 2020 to US$8.6 billion in 2024, with the sector experiencing volatility throughout the period. Bilateral ODA fell from US$5.2 billion in 2020 to US$4.4 billion in 2024, while multilateral core funding dropped from US$3.6 billion to US$3.2 billion during the same period. Agriculture's share of total ODA also decreased, falling from 5% in 2020-2021 to 4% by 2022-2024.

Who are the top donors of agricultural ODA?

The US led agricultural ODA in absolute terms, contributing US$1.6 billion, followed by Germany at US$1.1 billion and France at US$1 billion. Smaller donors showed stronger prioritization of agriculture, with New Zealand allocating 9% of its total ODA to the sector, followed by Korea and Belgium at 8%. Among major donors, France and the Netherlands allocated 6% of their total ODA to agriculture.

What are the key debates and topics surrounding agriculture?

Increasing funding for agricultural adaptation to build smallholder farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change: Donors need to scale up funding for adaptation programs, such as providing access to climate-smart agricultural technologies, improving water management systems, and promoting diversification of livelihoods to increase the climate resilience of smallholder farmers. The World Bank Group's AgriConnect initiative, launched in 2024, formalized a strategic pivot to double its annual agri-finance and agribusiness commitments to US$9 billion by 2030, with a focus on generating jobs and supporting agricultural ecosystems in low-income countries . Similarly, IFAD recorded a record US$1.4 billion in pledges during its 13th replenishment, covering 2025 – 2027, and has since pledged to reach at least 70 million small-scale food producers by 2030, underscoring the focus on smallholder farmers.

Supporting food security and protect those impacted by malnutrition: According to WFP's 2026 Global Outlook, an estimated 318 million people now face crisis levels of hunger or worse, more than double the figure recorded in 2019, with 41 million at emergency levels or worse. Acute food insecurity is also deepening across 16 hunger hotspots globally, with FAO and WFP warning that millions more are at risk of sliding into famine conditions through mid-2026. Against the backdrop, the world is far off track to achieve SDG 2 by 2030. Significantly increased and sustained funding is needed for agricultural development, food assistance, nutrition programmes, and trade support, with donors prioritising long-term, evidence-based, and context-specific interventions that maximize impact for the most vulnerable populations.

The G20 and sustainable agriculture: Under South Africa's 2025 G20 Presidency, agriculture was a central focus, with priorities centred on strengthening food security, promoting sustainable and climate-resilient farming, and supporting smallholder farmers, particularly across Africa. Key outcomes included the Ubuntu Declaration, which emphasised inclusive, digital, and sustainable agricultural investment as a means of tackling global food inflation. With the United States G20 Presidency in 2026, climate and sustainable agriculture have been notably deprioritised, raising concerns among advocates about the continuity of progress made under previous presidencies.

Agriculture and water security: 2026 has been widely framed as a landmark year for global water governance. The UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal and taking place in November in Abu Dhabi, aims to accelerate progress on SDG 6, ensuring sustainable water and sanitation for all, whilst mobilising the investments and partnerships needed to address a deepening global water crisis.

Targeting agricultural sustainability as a lever for climate change adaptation: Despite the massive potential to mitigate climate change by making agriculture more sustainable, there is a lack of funding for agriculture sustainability initiatives, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. As such, increased funding for the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and integrated crop-livestock systems is critical to developing sustainable agriculture systems while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.

Advancing agricultural data as an important lever for reaching zero hunger: Sound agricultural data is crucial for effective policymaking in low- and middle-income countries and the achievement and evaluation of SDG #2. As such, advocates should promote the collection and analysis of agricultural data to inform policy and improve productivity, net outputs, and farmer income levels.