BIOTECHNOLOGY UPDATE
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE
The 2025 OECD Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum on “Forests, agriculture and other land-uses as a cornerstone of climate action”
Each year, the OECD’s Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum (GGSD) brings together governments, business and experts from civil society to discuss a specific climate-relevant topic. This year, the forum will focus on “Forests, agriculture and other land-uses as a cornerstone of climate action”. Over a high-level opening session and 5 substantive sessions the Forum will explore why the AFOLU sector is critical to climate action and how forests and agriculture can contribute to emissions reductions and act as carbon sinks as well as looking at how to overcome measurement and data challenges, scale-up finance, and leverage synergies between climate action and rural development. The GGSD takes place on 2-3 July at the OECD in Paris and online. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Find out more on page 7
OECD Report on Measuring Carbon Footprints of Agri-Food Products
This report asks what it would take to achieve widespread and reliable measurement of carbon footprints of agri-food products. Eight essential building blocks were identified Although the magnitude of the challenge should not be underestimated, this report shows that many of the building blocks are falling into place and can be improved and aligned through collaboration between researchers, farmers, other supply chain actors, governments, and civil society, both at domestic and international levels.
Find out more on page 9
Report Launch: Synthetic Biology in Focus
The Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging. Technology (BNCT) published in February 2025 the report ‘Synthetic Biology in Focus: Policy issues and opportunities in engineering life” , providing policymakers with key insights on where synthetic biology will have the most impact, the challenges and opportunities in developing and deploying the technology around the world, and where policy could help. It was launched in a dedicated session at The Spirit of Asilomar conference in California to around 300 world-leading multistakeholder. A short accompanying blog “Synthetic biology: A game changer for economic sustainability, security and resilience” was also published in parallel to drive awareness
Find out more on page 22
Forward-Looking Technology Assessment of the Convergence of Synthetic Biology with AI and Automation
The Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies (BNCT) has drafted a report on a forward-looking technology assessment of the convergence of synthetic biology with artificial intelligence and automation. It aims to meet the demand by policymakers for timely strategic intelligence on these rapidly developing technologies to aid in anticipating impacts and shape policy efforts. It is currently undergoing committee approval and will be made publicly available in the coming months. Insights for this work were drawn from BNCT-organised in-person workshops, webinars and online meetings in 2024 and 2025.
Find out more on page 23
Workshop on Pathways to Responsible Innovation and Anticipatory Governance of Synthetic Biology
The Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies (BNCT) and Hoover Institution at Stanford University co-hosted a one-day in-person workshop in California to inform the development of the upcoming OECD Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Synthetic Biology. It convened 50 academics, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the globe to translate the lessons learned from The Spirit of Asilomar summit into actionable policy insights that could help realize the promise of synthetic biology whilst mitigating risks.
Find out more on page 24
G7-OECD Event Report on Indicators for a Sustainable and Circular Bioeconomy
The Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies (BNCT) produced a report compiling discussions and findings from a high-level international workshop on the sustainable and circular bioeconomy. The workshop was co-organised by the G7 Italian Presidency and the OECD, gathering senior officials from G7, G20, OECD countries, the European Commission and UN-FAO. The report showcases best practices and monitoring tools for advancing a circular bioeconomy, and takes stock of the implementation of the OECD Recommendation on Assessing the Sustainability of Bio-Based Products.
Find out more on page 25
The OECD Co-operative Research Programme: Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems Call for funding 2026 in open until September 2025
The Co-operative Research Programme’s Call for applications for Event and Fellowship funding in 2026 was launched in April 2025 and will close on 10 September 2025 COB Paris time. The outcome of the selection process will be communicated to the applicants in January 2026 at the latest.
Find out more on page 39
ICGB Newsletter No. 47, June 2025
This newsletter provides up-to-date information on activities related to biotechnology or the life sciences more generally at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is mainly intended for OECD staff and delegates to OECD meetings who are already familiar with certain aspects of the Organisation’s work. We hope that it is also informative for the wider biotech community.
The contents of this ‘Biotechnology Update’ newsletter have been provided by those members of the OECD Secretariat who are responsible for the various activities. The Secretariat can be contacted via the e-mail address: ehscont@oecd.org. Alternatively, individuals can be contacted via e-mail using the form firstname.lastname@oecd.org (See Who’s Who list at the end of the newsletter).
Visit the OECD website to access the latest news and previous editions.
ABOUT OECD’S INTERNAL CO-ORDINATION GROUP FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY (ICGB)
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and its member countries have been addressing issues related to biotechnology since 1982.
From that time, biotechnology has had an increasing impact on the programmes of different sectors at OECD such as: agriculture and trade; environment; science, technology and innovation. In 1993, the Internal Co-ordination Group for Biotechnology (ICGB) was established to facilitate co-ordination among these sectors.
Jane Richardson, Head of OECD’s Biosafety, Novel Foods/Feeds Safety and Pesticides Programmes is the Executive Secretary of the ICGB, and the editor of the ICGB Newsletter with the contribution of Satoshi Nakano.
Contacts: Jane Richardson, Satoshi Nakano (ENV/EHS)
GREEN GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Four years ago, at COP26, 145 countries endorsed pledges to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. COP30 to be held in Belém, Brazil this year is poised to be the “Nature COP”, with an ambition for scaling up nature finance. Agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors are critical to efforts to tackle the triple planetary crisis (i.e. climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution). These sectors accounts for at least 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it is the only sector that can remove carbon dioxide and act as carbon sinks. To remain within the Paris Agreement’s 1.5oC temperature target, GHG emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use will need to reduce by 42% and 77% in 2030 and 2050 respectively, with the sector quickly becoming a net GHG emissions sink from around 2030 onwards. Avoiding and reversing deforestation is also critical to averting and reversing biodiversity loss and providing critical ecosystems services such as clean water and reducing local air pollution. However, under current trends, GHG emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use are projected to rise. Biodiversity is similarly declining at an unprecedented rate, driven in part by land-use change. This underscores the need for policy action to reduce emissions from these sectors and leverage their potential for carbon dioxide removal, while preserving and restoring forests for global biodiversity.
Ahead of COP30, this year’s Green Growth and Sustainable Development (GGSD) Forum will explore how to harness the potential of forests and agriculture to mitigate to climate change. Over five thematic sessions, the Forum will explore how improving forest management practices can enhance carbon sequestration and the protection of natural capital and how the agriculture sector can reduce emissions and contribute to biodiversity, while remaining productive and building resilience to climate impacts and other environmental risks. The Forum will also discuss measurement and data challenges in estimating GHG emissions and removals, how to scale up finance to leverage the forests as carbon sinks, as well as the interlinkages between forests and rural development.
Confirmed speakers include:
• Eric LAMBIN, Professor, Université Catholique de Louvain,
• Jessika ROSWALL, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, European Commission (Video Address)
• Franz TATTENBACH CAPRA, Minister for Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
• Julie COLLINS, Deputy Director-General Policy and Trade, Ministry for Primary Industries, NZL
• Hiroyuki ISONO, CEO, Oji Holdings, Japan
• Jack HURD, Executive Director, Tropical Forest Alliance, World Economic Forum
• Anja GASSNER, Director Europe, CIFOR-ICRAF
Find more information on the agenda and register to attend on the Forum website
Contact: Kilian Raiser (ENV)
Website: https://www.oecd.org/en/networks/green-growth-and-sustainable-developmentforum.html
FOOD SYSTEMS
Background
The term “food systems” refers to all the elements and activities that relate to the production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption of food, and the effects of these activities. The emphasis on “food systems” highlights the importance of potential synergies and trade-offs across different policy domains which have often been treated in silos – e.g. public health and nutrition, the environment, poverty and rural development. Food systems matter not only for food security and nutrition, and for the livelihoods of those involved in them, but also for environmental sustainability. OECD published a major report on Making Better Policies for Food Systems in 2021.
Recent publications and ongoing work on food systems
• Measuring Carbon Footprints of Agri-Food Products | OECD – This report asks what it would take to achieve widespread and reliable measurement of carbon footprints of agri-food products. Eight building blocks are essential: Reporting standards, science-based methods, farm-level calculation tools, and databases with secondary data are needed to calculate carbon footprints, but these must be complemented with ways to communicate carbon footprint data along the supply chain, ensure the integrity and quality of the data and calculations, scale up carbon footprint calculations while keeping costs low, and to update all these elements as scientific insights and technologies evolve. Although the magnitude of the challenge should not be underestimated, this report shows that many of the building blocks are falling into place and can be improved and aligned through collaboration between researchers, farmers, other supply chain actors, governments, and civil society, both at domestic and international levels.
• Enabling trust in food labels for improved environmental outcomes | OECD - A new trend in initiatives to communicate the environmental impact of food products is the development of simplified environmental labelling schemes that aim to communicate aggregated environmental outcomes based on an established measurement methodology. They take the form of an easy-to-understand label displayed on food products at the front-of-pack. Such schemes, despite a lack of harmonisation on what environmental outcomes to measure and a lack of impact assessments, could play a role as part of a wider policy package aimed at influencing consumer choices towards more sustainable food products by enabling more informed food choices and creating incentives for producers to shift to more sustainable practices.
• Beyond food loss and waste reduction targets | OECD - Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) is critical to finding global solutions to the triple challenge of feeding a growing world population, ensuring the livelihoods of households along the agro-food supply chain, and delivering on climate and environmental sustainability commitments. Tracking the progress made in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3 of halving global per capita food waste, however, has been hampered by inconsistent definitions and metrics across countries and differing national policy approaches to FLW reduction. Reduction targets are often unclear, national policy commitments fragmented, and coordination is limited across government entities. This report provides a comprehensive
review of the FLW policy environment, drawing on data collected by the OECD from representatives of 42 national ministries and from the European Commission to support crosscountry dialogue and accelerate the implementation of more effective evidence-based and context-specific FLW policies.
• How do consumers interact with environmental sustainability claims on food? | OECDThis paper presents new evidence on how consumers interact with sustainability claims on food products, based on a survey of 37 000 consumers in 40 countries. Respondents are generally most interested in natural, locally produced, eco-friendly and organic claims. Trust and broaderattitudes and beliefs regarding the environment play an important role in shaping consumers’ willingness to pay more for products with a sustainability claim. For most claims, willingness to pay is also higher among consumers with higher incomes and education. Even after controlling for these factors, there are significant differences among countries. In some countries, people are generally distrustful of claims, while in others people have greater trust. This suggests that consumer trust may be shaped less by the specifics of a claim and more by country-specific factors. This interpretation is consistent with data suggesting that consumers have only a limited understanding of what different claims mean.
• Practical approaches to develop resilience strategies for food systems | OECDFood systems deliver essential services, but are also vulnerable to a wide range of shocks. A major concern amongst policymakers is therefore how to build more resilient food systems. This paper asks which processes can be used by policymakers and stakeholders to develop strategies tailored to their specific context to enhance resilience. Such processes should be inclusive, recurring, and involve governments. A good process will have well-designed objectives, assess risks and opportunities, and generate action plans with clear responsibilities. This paper provides examples taken from several OECD Member countries. Although to date there are few examples of processes that meet all the criteria mentioned above, this paper identifies several initiatives that embody one or more criteria and could serve as a model to policymakers.
In 2025-26, OECD work on food systems will continue to explore the measurement of carbon footprints and of food loss and waste, in addition to work on gender in food systems and on demandside policies for sustainable food choices.
Contact: Céline Giner and Koen Deconinck (TAD/ATM)
HARMONISATION OF REGULATORY OVERSIGHT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
The OECD’s Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology (WP-HROB) deals with the environmental safety of organisms produced through modern biotechnology (plants, animals, micro-organisms). The work aims to ensure that the types of elements used in biosafety assessment, as well as the methods to collect such information, are as similar as possible amongst countries. This improves mutual understanding and harmonised practice, which in turn, increases the efficiency of the biosafety assessment process, limits duplication of effort, while reducing barriers to trade
The WP-HROB participants are mainly officials from OECD countries responsible for the environmental risk/safety assessment of products derived from modern biotechnology. Observer delegations and invited experts collaborate actively, given the use of biotech products and breeding activities worldwide. They include candidate countries and other partner countries interested (in recent years: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, India, Kenya, Paraguay, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, Viet Nam); Business at OECD (BIAC); other intergovernmental and expert organisations such as FAO; UNEP; the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat; the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (AUDA NEPAD-ABNE) and the Agriculture and Food Systems Institute (AFSI)
39th Meeting of the WP-HROB
The 39th meeting of the WP-HROB was held in March 2025, with a large participation from 42 delegations including the first participation of Rwanda In the Tour de Table for sharing recent developments in environmental risk/safety assessment, Canada presented the results of an international regulatory analysis based on publicly available government resources and literature searches from 10 countries to inform the development of the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms). The United Kingdom presented the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and the new Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 South Africa described the GMO permit application process Australia presented the Gene Technology
Amendment Bill 2024 and New Zealand is developing new legislation similar to that of Australia. The OECD Seed Scheme and the International Seed Federation emphasized how breeding and varietal characterization can enhance farmers' access to innovation. They also presented the implications of New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) for their areas of work, and their approaches. Many organisations are revising their regulatory acts based on experience gained with NBTs. The OECD Enhanced Information Exchange on New Breeding Techniques, a joint project with WP-SNFF led by Japan, has supported these developments. A second version of the Enhanced Information Exchange on New Breeding Techniques is being finalised for publication in 2025.
A new project to develop a Biology Consensus document for Citrus was proposed by Brazil and the United States The devastating Huanglongbing disease and environmental factors such as drought and hurricanes are affecting production and biotechnology solutions could reduce disease and increase resilience in these plants The final document with be included in the Series on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology
The publication of the OECD Series on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology remains a major output of the programme. They constitute a set of practical tools for regulators and biosafety assessors dealing with new varieties produced through modern biotechnology, with respect to environmental safety. The 72 documents issued to date address the biology of crops, trees, animals and micro-organisms, selected traits that have been introduced in plants, as well as other key issues in the context of environmental risk assessment. The Series also includes information documents, which compile elements provided by delegations to share up-to-date information on biosafety.
Works under development are as follows:
• Consensus documents:
o Revised maize biology document
o Biology of mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae (publication expected in 2025) and Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles stephensi (in progress) These documents support developers of gene drives where engineered strains are being used to fight insect borne diseases such as malaria
o Biology and use of photoautotrophic microalgae for biomass production
In common with WP-SNFF:
• Enhanced information exchange on New Breeding Techniques
• Moving towards “safe(r)-innovation-approach” in the context of modern biotechnology
Upcoming events
• 40th Meeting of the Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, 22-24April 2026
• 41st Meeting of the Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, 19-21 April 2027
Recent publications
• Revised Recommendation of the Council concerning Safety Considerations for Applications of Recombinant DNA Organisms in Industry, Agriculture and the Environment
• Revised Consensus Document on the Biology of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Website: BioTrack Online https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/biosafety-novel-food-and-feedsafety.html
Contacts: Satoshi Nakano, Jane Richardson, Ester Carregal Romero (ENV/EHS)
SAFETY OF NOVEL FOODS AND FEEDS
The OECD Working Party for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds (WP-SNFF) addresses aspects of the risk/safety assessment and regulation of novel foods and feeds, especially products of modern biotechnology. The work aims to ensure that the types of elements used in risk/safety assessment, as well as the methods to collect such information, are as similar as possible amongst countries. The approach is to compare crops produced through modern biotechnology and derived products with similar conventional ones that are already known and considered safe in their use, based on recognised experience. Harmonised methods and practice, as well as share of data are facilitated through the WP-SNFF activities.
32nd Meeting of the WP-SNFF
The 32nd meeting of the WP-SNFF was held in March 2025, with a large participation from 42 delegations including the first participation of Rwanda Under the Tour de Table for sharing recent developments on novel foods/feeds safety assessment, Canada and Australia presented their Shared Assessment Process. The comparison and trust-building process began in 2013, before a pilot of shared assessments in 2020-21 and 2023-24. Four assessments have now been completed and the process has been documented (Health Canada-FSANZ shared assessment process: Information for applicants) Several benefits of the shared assessment process were identified; including: time and resource savings for the regulatory agencies, improved alignment and efficiency in the authorisation process for both regulators and faster authorisation times and/or cost savings for the applicant
A Session on the safety assessment of newly expressed proteins was organized in collaboration with European Food Safety Authority. The objectives of the session were to bring together scientists and stakeholders with a background in protein safety and biotechnology from a variety of sectors, including academia, industry, and governments. To discuss new developments and lessons learned in the last 20years ofassessing the safety assessmentof newly expressed proteins and share information and gain a common understanding of the current state-of-the-art for protein safety assessment. The session included insights from Canada, Australia, Singapore, Netherlands and Health and Environmental Sciences Institute and considered topics on history of safe use, problem formulation, bioinformatics, in silico and invitro testing. In an open discussion experts exchanged views and indicated that current methods for protein safety assessment are efficacious. However, it was noted that new computational methods are of interest for protein assessments. There are also some challenges with regard to interpretation of results and ‘pollution’ of data sources used for computational assessments.
Experts also shared their experience in the assessment of cell cultured foods. Australia has assessed their first cell-culture food (cultured quail cells). Based on this experience they have developed two new standards and a new schedule in their Code which requires a pre-market assessment for cellcultured foods. They highlight the potential risks of growth factors. Netherlands reported on their work to Cultivate at Scale. This includes the set-up of a Biotechnology Fermentation Factory which will act as a hub for cellular agriculture and precision fermentation and provide food grade pilot facilities and advanced laboratories. This is combined with an educational programme on cellular agriculture. The Netherlands also shared their best practice for cultured food tasing sessions
A new project proposal for Compositional Considerations for New Varieties of Banana (Musa spp.) was proposed to start in 2025. Worldwide, many research organisations are developing new varieties of banana using traditional GM technologies or new breeding techniques. A banana consensus document will be an internationally-recognised resource that will strengthen the scientific basis for the comparative assessment for products of biotechnology. The development of new varieties of banana could deliver disease resistance e.g. Panama disease which has the potential to devastate banana plantations or nutritional fortification e.g. tackling Vitamin A deficiency.
Consensus documents and other documents
The main output of SNFF is the set of consensus documents on compositional considerations for new varieties of specific crops. These documents compile a common base of scientific information on the major components of the plants and their derived products: key nutrients; toxicants; antinutrients; and other plant metabolites where relevant. Other publications deal with general aspects to facilitate harmonisation in safety assessment. These documents constitute practical tools for regulators and risk assessors dealing with new varieties produced through modern biotechnology, with respect to human food and animal feed safety. The Series also includes compilations of regulatory updates from delegations. To date, 31 documents have been published on major crops and mushrooms, the animal feedstuffs, and a document on the molecular characterisation of plants derived from modern biotechnology developed in common with the WP-HROB. They are available through the OECD BioTrack website (https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/biosafety-novel-food-and-feed-safety.html ).
Two composition documents, on maize (revision) and faba bean (Vicia faba), are under development. Joint projects conducted with the WP-HROB are the enhanced information exchange on New Breeding Techniques, and the project on moving towards “safe(r)-innovation-approach” in the context of modern biotechnology.
Outreach and Engagement of Non Member Economies
Officials from OECD countries and delegates from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Business at OECD (BIAC), observer organisations such as FAO, UNEP, the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (AUDA NEPAD-ABNE), the Agriculture and Food Systems Institute (AFSI) and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) participate actively in the novel food and feed safety programme. In addition, the WP-SNFF has increasingly exchanged experience, scientific knowledge and interests with non-member economies, which allows it to address a wider range of food and feed products of global interest. Brazil, South Africa and Thailand, for example, were actively involved in the drafting of consensus documents on compositional considerations for cowpea, cassava, papaya as well as other tropical crops. The WP-SNFF benefits also from the expertise from Argentina, Croatia, India, Kenya, Paraguay, Philippines, Singapore, Uruguay and Viet Nam.
Upcoming events:
• 33rd Meeting of the Working Party for the Safety of Novel Foods & Feeds, 20-22 April 2026
• 34th Meeting of the Working Party for the Safety of Novel Foods & Feeds, 21-23 April 2027
Website: BioTrack Online https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/biosafety-novel-food-and-feedsafety.html
Contacts: Satoshi Nakano, Jane Richardson (ENV/EHS)
BIOTRACK ONLINE
The BioTrack Online information system is a mechanism by which the Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology and the Working Party for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds make publicly available the outputs of their work, especially their Consensus/Guidance Documents described in sections above.
BioTrack Online offers also a public access to the “Product Database”. This database allows regulatory officials to easily share basic information on products derived from the use of modern biotechnology (mainly crop plants) and approved for commercial application in terms of food, feed or environmental safety. The database is updated, on a voluntary basis, by authorities of countries participating in the OECD biosafety activities. Products are listed with unique identifiers, and the information includes common/scientific names of the host organism and introduced genes, the events and traits, the regulatory elements and relevant links regarding approvals for release and use in countries.
Information on new or updated entries provided by Argentina, Australia, Canada, Paraguay and Philippines were added to the Product Database in the first half of 2025. Currently, the database includes 427 products of genetically engineered crops, trees and flowers, from a total of 27plant species, these products being approved in one or several of 17 countries and the European Union.
BioTrack Online also contains the regulatory contacts of OECD member countries and other stakeholders involved in biosafety and novel food/feed safety.
The co-operation continues between the OECD’s Product Database, the CBD Biosafety ClearingHouse and the FAO GM Food Platform, for interoperability between these web-based systems and facilitating the exchange of information on safety assessment of organisms and foods derived from biotechnology. This activity responds to a request from the Codex ad hoc Task Force on Food Derived from Biotechnology, and a Memorandum of Cooperation signed between OECD and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Website: BioTrack Online https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/biosafety-novel-food-and-feedsafety.html
Product Database https://biotrackproductdatabase.oecd.org/
Contacts: Satoshi Nakano, Jane Richardson (ENV/EHS)
BIODIVERSITY ECONOMICS AND POLICY
Biodiversity work at the OECD focuses on the economics and policies needed to promote the effective conservation, sustainable use and restoration of biodiversity. It covers areas such as the effective design and implementation of economic instruments and other policy measures, biodiversity mainstreaming and finance. This programme also supports the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The work is conducted under the oversight of the OECD Working Party on Biodiversity, Water and Ecosystems (WPBWE), a subsidiary body of the Environment Policy Committee (EPOC).
Biodiversity, including forests, wetlands and marine ecosystems, is fundamental to human well-being and the economy. Biodiversity provides critical ecosystem services such as food provisioning, water purification, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation, all of which are essential to support human wellbeing and economic growth. Despite the significant economic, social and cultural benefits provided by biodiversity and ecosystem services, global biodiversity is declining.
Current OECD work on biodiversity is on Scaling up Positive Incentives for Biodiversity, A Review of Quantifying and Reforming Environmentally Harmful Subsidies/Support. New work is underway on Good Practices on Mobilising Public and Private Finance for Biodiversity and Tracking Progress towards the USD 200 Billion Biodiversity Finance Target 19 of the CBD’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The OECD convened an international workshop on Mobilising Public and Private Finance for Biodiversity in May 2025.
The 2024 update of Tracking Economic Instruments and Finance for Biodiversity was released in October. DrawingontheOECDdatabaseonPolicyInstrumentsfortheEnvironment(PINE),the2024edition provides the latest data on biodiversity-relevant economic instruments (known as positive incentives under the KMGBF) and the finance they mobilise. The database includes information from over 140 countries on biodiversity-positive taxes and fees, tradable permits, environmentally-motivated subsidies, payments for ecosystemservicesandbiodiversity offsets.
The report “Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Renewable Power Infrastructure” was launched in January 2024 through a Green Talk Live The report synthesises evidence on biodiversity impacts from renewable power infrastructure. It identifies opportunities for mainstreaming biodiversity into power sector planning and policy to deliver better outcomes for nature and the climate.
“Assessing nature-related risks in the Hungarian financial system Charting the impact of nature's financial echo” was published in June 2024. The paper assesses nature-related risks within the Hungarian economy and financial system. It draws on the OECD’s Supervisory Framework published in 2023, which provides technical guidance to central banks and financial supervisors on how to
prioritise, conceptualise, and assess biodiversity- and nature-related financial risks with respect to their financial system.
Recent publications and working papers:
• OECD (2024), Tracking economic instruments and finance for biodiversity – 2024. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/data/insights/dataexplainers/2024/10/tracking-economic-instruments-and-finance-for-biodiversity2024/OECD-Tracking-Economic-Instruments-and-Finance-for-Biodiversity-2024.pdf
• OECD (2024), Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Renewable Power Infrastructure, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/357ac474-en.
• Boffo, Miller, Gülersoy and Carneiro (2024), “Assessing nature-related risks in the Hungarian financial system: Charting the impact of nature’s financial echo” Environment Working Paper, No. 243, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/24fd70e3-en
• OECD (2023), "A supervisory framework for assessing nature-related financial risks: Identifying and navigating biodiversity risks", OECD Business and Finance Policy Papers, No. 33, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/a8e4991f-en
• OECD (2023), "Assessing biodiversity-related financial risks: Navigating the landscape of existing approaches", OECD Environment Policy Papers, No. 36, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d52137a5-en.
• OECD (2022), “Identifying and assessing subsidies and other incentives harmful to biodiversity at national level: A comparative review of existing national level assessments and insights for good practice” , OECD Environment Working Papers, No. 206, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3e9118d3-en
• OECD (2021), “Biodiversity, natural capital and the economy: A policy guide for finance, economic and environment ministers” , OECD Environment Policy Papers, No. 26, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1a1ae114-en
Website: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/biodiversity.html
Contacts: Katia Karousakis, Edward Perry, Giulio Mazzone (ENV/CBW)
THE 13TH EXPERT GROUP ON BIOPESTICIDES SEMINAR 25-26 FEBRUARY 2025
Session 1: Regulatory Considerations for Peptides
Session 2: Taxonomic changes of Bacillus thuringiensis
Session 3: Risk Assessment of Semiochemicals
The first session focused on Peptides as Plant Protection Products (PPPs) with presentations from the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA), and two companies producing peptide-based PPPs. Peptides are small and stable molecules, are already used in medicine and recently have been found to be specific to target pests. Advances in Artificial Intelligence have enabled the identification and subsequent synthesis of new peptides, including unnatural ones, by applying various technologies. The IBMA has included peptides and proteins in their definition of natural substances, provided they meet certain conditions. Delegates at the seminar requested that the OECD develop a definition for peptides, include them in the scope of biopesticides work, and continue to engage in information sharing and potentially develop associated guidance.
The second session considered Taxonomy and Safety Considerations for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)based pesticides with presentations from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, IBMA, BIAC, and a European Food Safety Authority representative. Bt has been used as a microbial insecticide in OECD countries for decades and is generally considered low risk. However, recent advancements in genomic tools have led to a re-examination of Bt taxonomy. Additionally, there is uncertainty about whether pesticidal Bt strains have been involved in foodborne outbreaks. These issues pose challenges for regulators assessing the safety of Bt. The seminar provided an opportunity for academics and regulators to exchange information. There was a consensus that the classification and naming of Bt strains are complex and should remain a collaborative effort among OECD countries and stakeholders as the science advances and specific markers are developed.
The third session considered semiochemicals, another type of biopesticides with presentations from, Spain, European Commission, and IBMA. The session provided a platform to consolidate ongoing efforts related to semiochemicals and present the progress and findings of an OECD project. Semiochemicals, which are naturally occurring substances emitted by plants, animals, and other organisms, play a crucial role in intra- and inter-species communication. These substances are recognised for their minimal concerns when used as plant protection products (PPPs) due to their target-specific and non-toxic mode of action. They are effective at very low application rates, often comparable to their natural background levels. During the seminar, a revised calculation method of background levels, confirmed based on reliability criteria, was presented and integrated into the draft updated OECD guidance document, which is now available for comments. Additionally, potential future OECD activities were discussed, focusing on identifying cases where existing risk-assessed semiochemicals could be applied in other regions to facilitate mutual recognition of assessments.
Other relevant EGBP activities A project to develop a guidance document on problem formulation for the assessment of microbial pesticides: pathways to assess the likelihood of not meeting the protection goal (Lead Countries Netherlands and US) was approved by the Working Party Pesticides (WPP). This was a follow-up outcome of last year’sEGBP seminar on this topic A consensus documents for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is under internal review.
Publications:
• OECD (2024), Report of the 12th Expert Group on Biopesticides Seminar on Problem Formulation for the risk assessment of biopesticides, Series on Pesticides and Biocides, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/c78ef74a-en.
• OECD (2023), Innovating Microbial Pesticide Testing: Conference Proceedings, https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/CBC/MONO(2023)10/en/pdf
• Paege, N., Feustel, S. & Marx-Stoelting, P. Toxicological evaluation of microbial secondary metabolites in the context of European active substance approval for plant protection products. Environ Health 23, 52 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-024-01092-0
• Wend, K., Zorrilla, L., Freimoser, F.M. et al. Microbial pesticides – challenges and future perspectives for testing and safety assessment with respect to human health. Environ Health 23, 49 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-024-01090-2
• OECD (2023), Guidance Document on Baculoviruses as Plant Protection Products, Series on Pesticides and Biocides, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8f0dc501-en.
• Consensus document on Beauvaria bassianna strains as microbial plant protection product https://doi.org/10.1787/cc1d28d9-en
Contacts: Magda Sachana, Jane Richardson (ENV/EHS)
REPORT LAUNCH - SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY IN FOCUS: POLICY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ENGINEERING LIFE
The Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging. Technology (BNCT) published in February 2025 the report ‘Synthetic Biology in Focus: Policy issues and opportunities in engineering life”. It aims to provide policymakers with key insights on where synthetic biology will have the most impact, the challenges and opportunities in developing and deploying the technology around theworld, and where policy could help. A short accompanying blog “Synthetic biology: A game changer for economic sustainability, security and resilience” was launched in parallel to drive awareness of the publication.
An official launch event took place in a dedicated session of The Spirit of Asilomar conference in California on 24 February 2025. Around 300 world-leading multistakeholder experts were in attendance to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA Molecules.
Synthetic biology promises to revolutionise a swath of industrial activities and create new ones to boost economies, transform health, and contribute to solving grand societal challenges. But its pace of development and its convergence with other technologies like AI presents policy challenges and unknowns. In 2023 and 2024, the OECD Global Forum on Technology (GFTech) brought together 66 experts from 32 countries with diverse backgrounds to provide insights and evidence from the frontlines of the field to policymakers. The report synthesizes this intelligence, leveraging as well the discussions from the GFTech event “Building our Bio Future: Policy issues and opportunities for next generation biotechnologies” which took place in 22 April 2024 on the margins of the OECD Scientific and Technological Policy Ministerial meeting in Paris.
Contact: Douglas Robinson (STI/STP) douglas.robinson@oecd.org, Daniel Nadal (STI/STP) daniel.nadal@oecd.org
FORWARD-LOOKING TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT OF THE CONVERGENCE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY WITH AI AND AUTOMATION
The OECD Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies (BNCT) has drafted a report on a forward-looking technology assessment of the convergence of synthetic biology with artificial intelligence and automation. It aims to meet the demand by policymakers for timely strategic intelligence on these rapidly developing technologies to aid in anticipating impacts and shape policy efforts. It is currently undergoing committee approval and will be made publicly available in the coming months.
The report identifies a series of examples illustrating the state of play of these converging technologies, locating them in the context where they are being developed and implemented; for example, the use of large language models in synthetic biology education, or new biodesign tools to accelerate the pace and complexity in laboratory research. The implications for governance and policy of these developments are extracted - ranging from biosecurity and biosafety to data, human oversight of automated models, and regional disparities – with accompanying policy options suggested. The key issues throughout the paper with high uncertainty or importance for policy were outlined for further analysis and strategic intelligence.
Insights for this work were drawn from several BNCT-organised activities. A workshop on 21-22 October 2024 titled “Prospecting the governance of AI and SynBio convergence: A forward-looking technology assessment” brought together 40 experts in synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, governance and foresight from academia, industry and policy. The two days of discussions mapped the convergence of synthetic biology and artificial intelligence to date, foresaw potential coevolutions and the potential governance issues and opportunities, and explored the readiness of the current governance ecosystem as well as the ongoing role of the OECD. A follow-up online webinar with the original attendees plus new experts was held on 5 February 2025 to further flesh out these issues, and was complemented by additional online meetings with experts.
Contact: Douglas Robinson (STI/STP) douglas.robinson@oecd.org, Daniel Nadal (STI/STP) daniel.nadal@oecd.org
WORKSHOP: PATHWAYS TO RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION AND ANTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
The OECD’s Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies (BNCT) and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University co-hosted a one-day in-person workshop on 27 February titled “Pathways to Responsible Innovation and Anticipatory Governance of Synthetic Biology”. The discussions aimed to inform a proposed OECD Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Synthetic Biology, specifically a scoping note on the Recommendation, which is under review by the BNCT and the Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP).
Leveraging the expertise gathered in California for The Spirit of Asilomar summit, the event convened 50 academics, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the globe to translate the lessons learned from Asilomar into actionable policy insights that could help realize the promise of synthetic biology whilst mitigating risks. In the morning, panel discussions with audience questions were organized for each of the conference five themes (e.g. synthetic cells, framing biotechnology futures, AI and biotechnology….) to unpackkey insights.In the afternoon, expertswere divided into 3 breakout groups to unpack the main enablers and constraints in national and international contexts for 3 key topics in synthetic biology: building a bioeconomy that aligns with societal goals, ensuring biosafety and biosecurity, and the future of international cooperation in the field.
Contact: Cesar Barraza-Botet (STI/STP) cesar.barraza-botet@oecd.org
G7-OECD EVENT REPORT
ON INDICATORS FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND CIRCULAR BIOECONOMY
On 31 October 2024, the National Coordination Group for the Bioeconomy - within the National Committee for Biosafety, Biotechnology and Life Sciences of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers - organised the hybrid workshop "Sustainableand CircularBioeconomy forreducingemissions and restoring ecosystems: success stories and indicators and best practices for monitoring their sustainability" in Rome. The event was held in collaboration between the G7 Presidency on Climate, Energy and Environment and the OECD Working Party on Bio-, Nano- and Converging Technologies (BNCT).
The workshop had the valuable contributions of 18 speakers from G7, G20 and OECD member countries, the European Commission and the FAO. This included high-level interventions from the Italian Minister for Environment & Energy Security; the Italian Minister of University and Research; the Brazilian Secretary of State for Climate, Energy and Environment (and the Presidency of G20 Bioeconomy Initiative); the Director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation; and the “Healthy Planet” Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.
Based on the discussions and insights shared during the event, a joint OECD-G7 bioeconomy policy report was developed to take stock of the implementation of the OECD Recommendation on Assessing the Sustainability of Bio-Based Products and to support efforts to disseminate and monitor its application.
Report findings highlighted that circular bioeconomy approaches can help reconcile environmental, social, and economic goals, offering scalable solutions to global challenges like climate change and plastic pollution. Robust and harmonised sustainability indicators and monitoring tools are essential to guide this transition, supported by international cooperation across the G7, G20, OECD, FAO, and EU. Country experiences show strong momentum but also underline the need for better coordination across sectors and ministries. Cultural change, greater consumer demand, and economic opportunities, such as those emerging in bio-based markets, will be key to mainstreaming the bioeconomy.
The OECD’s BNCT Secretariat expresses its gratitude to Fabio Fava from the National Bioeconomy Coordination Board (CNBBSV) of the Italian Presidency of Council of Ministers and BNCT delegate for leading the organisation of this workshop and his valuable contributions to the BNCT work.
Contact: Cesar Barraza-Botet (STI/STP), cesar.barraza-botet@oecd.org
BIOTECHNOLOGY STATISTICS
The OECD Key Biotech Indicators (KBI) and OECD Key Nanotech Indicators (KNI) were updated in October 2024 and will be updated around the same period in 2025.
The KBI and KNI data are available at: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/emerging-technology-indicators.html.
Contact: Brigitte van Beuzekom (STI/STP)
BIOENERGY AND BIOFUELS AT TRADE AND AGRICULTURE DIRECTORATE
The subject of bioenergy touches various areas, in particular, scientific developments, environmental effects, energy balances and agricultural market economics. The Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) work on bioenergy focuses on a comprehensive compilation of data and information, the categorisation of the variety of support policies and the quantitative analysis of bioenergy markets and policy measures.
The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook annual report covers biofuel market and related policy developments. The 2024 Agricultural Outlook (projecting on the 2024-2033 period) is available at http://www.agri-outlook.org/, see ‘Biofuels’ chapter (OECD/FAO, 2024).
TAD has created a detailed database of policies in the fertiliser and biofuel sectors of OECD countries and several Emerging Economies. An analysis of these policies and their implications for agricultural markets and incomes has been published within the Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Paper series (von Lampe et al., 2014). A previous Trade and Environment Working Paper has focused on domestic incentive measures for renewable energy with possible trade implications (Bahar, Egeland and Steenblick, 2013).
TAD participates in the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) project (www.amisoutlook.org). One of TAD’s contributions to AMIS is to report each month on newly implemented biofuel policies in the AMIS countries in the Market Monitor Report.
Recent Publication:
• OECD/FAO (2024), OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2024-2033 – “Biofuels” chapter, full document available at: http://www.agri-outlook.org/.
Website: OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook: https://www.agri-outlook.org/commodities/ AMIS Market Monitor Report: http://www.amis-outlook.org/amis-monitoring/monthly-report/en/
Contacts: Hubertus Gay (TAD/ATM) Marcel Adenauer (TAD/ATM),
BIOENERGY AT THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA) - RENWEABLE FUELS
OUTLOOK AND G20 SUPPORT ON CARBON ACCOUNTING FOR SUSTAINABLE FUELS
The activities of the International Energy Agency (IEA) cover bioenergy across the electricity, heat and transport sectors. The following summarises notable activities in 2024
Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane
• This report presents a first-of-its-kind global geographical analysis of the untapped potential of biogas and biomethane from agriculture, municipal waste and forestry residues. Using detailed geospatial and production cost data, it assesses the potential, costs and suitability of over 30 types of feedstocks in more than 5 million locations worldwide.
• More broadly, the report also analyses the current state of play of the biogas and biomethane sector, reviewing today’s policies, business models, consumption patterns and supply trends. Additionally, it examines the environmental impacts of biogas projects, highlighting the importance of minimising associated methane emissions and responsibly managing organic waste streams. And it considers the latest technologies and innovations in the sector, plus the scope for reducing costs through higher yields or economies of scale.
o Today’s sustainable production potential for biogases is nearly 1 000 bcme, equivalent to a quarter of global natural gas demand.
o 80% of the sustainable potential for producing biogases is in emerging market and developing economies, led by Brazil, China and India.
o Biomethane production costs exhibit a wide range, with 90% of the potential being between USD 10 per gigajoule (GJ) and USD 30/GJ.
Figure 1: Geographic distribution of biogas and biomethane resources globally in 2024
IEA Workshop on sustainable fuels
• The IEA recently convened a workshop on sustainable fuels, bringing together more than 80 experts from governments, industry, international organiszations and civil society to discuss how to support their adoption around the world.
• The event on 29 April, which was hosted in collaboration with Brazil’s COP30 Presidency, underscored the critical importance of establishing a global level of ambition for the deployment of sustainable fuels and the need to seek international alignment across carbon accounting frameworks.
• Sustainable fuels, such as liquid biofuels, biogases, hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels, complement the electrification of the energy sector and energy efficiency measures. They help reduce emissions in sectors that are hard to abate while also supporting energy diversification, security and economic development opportunities.
• Demand for sustainable fuels is set to expand by 35% by 2030 based on today’s policies and market conditions. However, many sustainable fuels are not on track to meet long-term global emissions reduction goals.
• The workshop featured dedicated discussions on four topics – transport, industry, finance and the role of international dialogue. Participants were invited to share their perspectives on:
o The challenges and barriers to creating demand for sustainable fuels in the transport and industry sectors;
o Policy incentives, financing mechanisms and best practices that can address these challenges;
o Strategic guidance for an upcoming IEA report on pathways for sustainable fuels over the next decade, which is being prepared in support of Brazil’s COP30 presidency
World Energy Investment Report
• This year’s World Energy Investment report, marks the 10th edition of this flagship analysis and provides a full update on the investment picture in 2024 and an initial reading of the emerging picture for 2025.
• The report provides a global benchmark for tracking capital flows in the energy sector and examines how investors are assessing risks and opportunities across all areas of fuel and electricity supply, critical minerals, efficiency, research and development and energy finance.
• Bioenergy investment expands to near 17 billion by 2025, up 13% on 2024 values, six times quicker than the pace of global energy investment growth.
• IEA (2025) World Energy Investment 2025 https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/02b65de2-1939-47ee-8e8a4f62c38c44b0/WorldEnergyOutlook2024.pdf
• IEA (2025) Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane https://www.iea.org/reports/outlook- for-biogas-and-biomethane
Contact: Jeremy Moorhouse (IEA/EMS/RED)
Figure 2: Example of a quantitative GHG intensity labelling system for selected sustainable fuel pathways at the point of delivery
POLICIES FOR AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
The Ministerial Declaration on Transformative Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
The Declaration underlines the key role of developing transformative and innovative policies towards more sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems. To this end, it calls OECD countries to strengthen the assessment of investments in agricultural innovation systems that offer cost-effective levers to progress towards productive, sustainable, and resilient agriculture and food systems. This will allow countries to address the triple challenge of agriculture: providing adequate, affordable, safe and nutritious food for a growing global population; providing opportunities for livelihoods all along the food value chain; and doing so while increasing the environmental sustainability of the sector.
The OECD Agro-food Productivity Sustainability Resilience policy framework
Innovation in agriculture is a key driver to improve the productivity and environmental sustainability of the sector. Innovative technologies and practices allow food systems to produce more food for a growing world population, using less resources and reducing the pressures on the environment. Innovation can make food systems more resilient to systemic shocks exacerbated by climate change, including sudden outbreaks like COVID-19 pandemic. The Agro-food Productivity-SustainabilityResilience policy framework responds to a demand from the G20 in 2012 and to the Communiques from the OECD Agricultural Ministerial meeting in 2016. It is currently a ready-to-use instrument to analyse the performance of agricultural policies from a holistic perspective and their contribution to enhance innovative outcomes.
Agriculture Innovation Systems are relevant for achieving sustainable productivity growth
OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) has been analysing the potential role of agricultural innovation systems and innovation policies for addressing the triple challenge. After three pilot country reviews published in 2015 (Australia, Brazil, and Canada), the framework was used in country reviews including: the Netherlands (2015), Türkiye and the United States (2016), P.R. China, Estonia, Korea and Sweden (2018), Japan, Latvia, and Argentina (2019), Norway (2021) and Viet Nam (2022). The main findings and policy recommendations from the country reviews were published in 2019 (OECD, 2019). A booklet containing an overview of the main findings and a policy brief were made available at an OECD seminar organised on 11 May 2019 before the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Ministers in Niigata, Japan. In 2023, three additional reviews were released for the Netherlands, Spain, and the European Union They contain updated information and a detailed
assessment of agricultural innovation systems and how they can work for achieving environmental sustainability. Journalists, policy makers, and researchers have expressed great interest in them. Agricultural policies reviews for Switzerland and Egypt are currently under development.
Fostering Sustainable Productivity Growth
Sustainable Productivity Growth (SPG) will be key to overcome the triple challenge Productivity growth makes it possible to produce more with less resources through innovations that allow a more efficient use of land, fertilisers and other inputs, opening an opportunity to increase incomes and reduce the pressure on natural resources, such as water and soils. SPG seeks to ensure that this is done sustainably contributing to food production and to viable livelihoods, limiting negative impacts on the environment.
TAD is making substantial progress towards defining, understanding and measuring SPG. The most recent developments are a conference on “Sustainable Agricultural Productivity to Address Food Systems Challenges: Measurement, Data, Drivers and Policies”, and the OECD Global Forum on Agriculture on “Steering Policies towards Sustainable Agricultural Productivity”, both taking place on October 2024, and the flagship publication Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2024 with a focus on “Sustainable Productivity Growth” (OECD, 2024). An environmentally sustainable productivity index (ESPI) was developed to examine sustainable productivity performance considering three environmental externalities: greenhouse gas emissions, and nitrogenand phosphorus surpluses; for 28 countries over three decades (Cobourn et al., 2024). The Proceedings of the Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Productivity to Address Food Systems Challenges Measurement, Data, Drivers and Policies were published in 2025. Additionally, recent work has addressed social issues in agriculture in rural areas that are key for social sustainability (Asai and Antón, 2024).
Digital agriculture can help advance both environmental and social sustainability
Digitalisation offers the potential to help address the productivity, sustainability and resilience challenges facing agriculture. A literature review (McFadden et al., 2022) and an “issues note” on trust (McFadden, Casalini and Antón, 2022)address the barriers of adoption of digital agriculture in OECD countries. A recent work analyses how digital technologies affect labour, skills and farmers’ wellbeing (Campi et al., 2024). The focus on these relations is relevant because digital technologies can improve working conditions in agriculture, by reducing the need for menial tasks and physical labour, allowing for more flexible work schedules and reducing health risks, and generate new entrepreneurship opportunities in rural areas, for example, allowing for certain on-farm diversification activities, such as tourism. All these effects can make the sector increasingly attractive to younger people and for attracting new entrants into agriculture.
OECD networks for advancing sustainable productivity growth and inducing innovation
Innovation can provide an opportunity to increase productivity while better managing natural resources. Public and private agricultural stakeholders have roles to play in fostering productivity and
environmental sustainability. Private firms can produce improved inputs, farmers can adopt practices and invest in the latest technologies, and can governments provide resources, institutions and incentives for all stakeholders. With the right policies, governments can create an enabling environment to optimise resource use from an economic, environmental and social perspective. To broaden the understanding of innovation, sustainability, the role of different stakeholders, and the multiple interlinkages, TAD has established networks of experts from research and governments.
The Farm-Level Analysis Network (FLAN) undertakes studies and exchange of experience on the use of micro level data for policy analysis. A series of reports investigating the determinants of farm productivity and sustainability performance and dynamics, including innovation and agricultural policies have been discussed in the Network and published in the OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Paper series. Next FLAN meeting in June 2025 includes sessions on: income and social issues in agriculture; the role of farm advisory in achieving farm sustainability; entrepreneurship, inclusiveness and generational renewal; and innovation for sustainable productivity growth.
The Network on Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and the Environment (TFPN) is an OECD expert group sharing experiences and best practices for cross-country agricultural total factor productivity comparisons and for the measurement of sustainable productivity growth in agriculture. Thus, it is a platform to discuss challenges and opportunities of measuring the sustainable productivity growth through indicators that combine Productivity and environmental sustainability. Since 2015, the TFPN organises meetings of experts to share knowledge on the topic with participants that include researchers from the academy, and country experts and delegates. The 10th Meeting of the TFPN, took place in 28-29 April 2025 discussed advancements in the measurement of SPG in agriculture and understand its drivers.
Recent publications:
• OECD (2025), Sustainable Agricultural Productivity to Address Food Systems Challenges: Measurement, Data, Drivers and Policies, Proceedings from the OECD Conference, 28 October 2024, OECD Publishing, Paris.
• OECD (2024), Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2024: Innovation for Sustainable Productivity Growth, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/74da57ed-en
• Cobourn, K. et al. (2024), "An Index Theory Based Approach to Measuring the Environmentally Sustainable Productivity Performance of Agriculture", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 213, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/bf68fb78-en
• Asai, M. and J. Antón (2024), "Social issues in agriculture in rural areas", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 212, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/fec15b38-en
• Campi, M., et al. (2024), "The evolving profile of new entrants in agriculture and the role of digital technologies", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 209, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d15ea067-en
• OECD (2023), Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in the European Union, OECD Agriculture and Food Policy Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/32810cf6-en
• OECD (2023), Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in Spain, OECD Agriculture and Food Policy Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/a93d26be-en
• OECD (2023), Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in the Netherlands, OECD Agriculture and Food Policy Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/bb16dea4-en.
• Asai, M., et al. (2023), "Fostering agricultural and rural policy dialogue", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 197, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d36fcbad-en.
• Sauer, J. and J. Antón (2023), “Characterising farming resilience capacities: An example of crop farms in the United Kingdom", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 195, OECD Publishing, Paris,https://doi.org/10.1787/1e26883b-en
• Bureau, J. and J. Antón (2022), "Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and the environment: A guide to emerging best practices in measurement", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 177, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/6fe2f9e0-en
• McFadden, J., et al. (2022), "The digitalisation of agriculture: A literature review and emerging policy issues", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 176, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/285cc27d-en.
• McFadden, J., F. Casalini and J. Antón (2022), "Policies to bolster trust in agricultural digitalisation: Issues note", OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, No. 175, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5a89a749-en.
• OECD (2022), “Insights Into the Measurement of Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and the Environment”, https://www.oecd.org/agriculture/topics/network-agriculturalproductivity-and-environment
• OECD (2021), “Policies for the Future of Farming and Food: How to improve productivity, sustainability and resilience?” (Booklet on PSR Policy Framework), https://issuu.com/oecd.publishing/docs/policies_for_the_future_of_farming_and_food
Website: http://www.oecd.org/agriculture/topics/agricultural-productivity-and-innovation/
Contact: Jesús Antón (TAD/ARP) and Mercedes Campi (TAD/ARP)
AGRICULTURAL SEED AND FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL CERTIFICATION SCHEMES
The following three criteria; distinctness, uniformity and stability are used for defining crop varieties and form the basis for agricultural seed development and trade. Identification and minimum purity criteria are important components of sustainability, especially in the case of hybridisation and genetic modifications. For forest reproductive material reliability depends on several factors including identification of origin (region or provenance), selection and breeding.
The OECD Seed Schemes are a set of international standards for field inspection and certification of the most important agricultural and vegetable species. The Schemes aim to harmonise seed certification; thereby facilitating and promoting international seed trade. The eight Seed Schemes establish rules and standards for varietal inspection and certification of seeds from OECD listed varieties. Sixty-one countries are currently a member of at least one of the Schemes.
The List of Varieties Eligible for OECD Certification covers 204 species – including all major crops – and more than 73 000 varieties. OECD statistics indicate that the total weight of OECD certified seeds traded corresponded to 506 million kg in 2022/23. The electronic database provides an online search facility for OECD listed varieties and is available from the official website (see below).
In order to assess the current and future needs of international certification, the OECD Seed Schemes have established a number of Ad-Hoc Working Groups and holds regular discussions with their Technical Working Group to examine issues, explore new opportunities and develop new procedures. One of the key issues for the OECD Seed Schemes is the emerging role of biochemical and molecular techniques (BMT) in describing and identifying varieties. These issues are discussed at the Advisory Group on Biochemical and Molecular Techniques. The group plays a key role in the registration of new BMTs under the OECD Seed Schemes. The 2025 Annual Meeting held on 9-13 June 2025
approved new BMTs which are in use at least by one of the participating countries in the Seed Schemes. The Group also started discussions on how modern molecular techniques can be used for varietal purity tests. Currently the registered BMTs are only allowed for varietal identity tests but only as supplementary methods to phenotyping techniques.
International organisations such as OECD, International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and International Seed testing Association (ISTA) need to pursue these new techniques carefully in order to maintain the integrity of the seed sectors international regulatory framework. These organisations work in close cooperation to harmonise their work on BMTs as much as possible. Both OECD and UPOV have established their list of BMTS applied in breeding, variety testing and registration or seed certification. The organisations harmonised their approach during the formation of the lists. A joint OECD/UPOV/ISTA Workshop on the application of Biochemical and Molecular Techniques was organised in Beijing on 28 April – 1 May 2025, back-to-back with the UPOV Technical Working Party on Testing Methods and Techniques The Workshop suggested to harmonizing the terms and definitions used by the different organisations related to BMTs, to set up a joint OECD/UPOV/ISTA list of BMTs and to explore the feasibility to agree on common set of DNA markers for respective agricultural species. The 2025 Annual Meeting agreed with these proposals and the OECD Seed Schemes will work on these issues from now on.
The OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme encourages the production and use of forest reproductive material that has been collected, processed and marketed in a manner that ensures their trueness to name. It is currently implemented in 30 countries. The Scheme's rules were recently completed by including the "Tested" category and new types of basic materials, such as clones, clonal mixture and parents of families. Moreover, the Scheme is now adapted to deal with multifunctional forest trees.
The Scheme is exploring possible ways to adapt to and mitigate climate change. The scheme is collaborating with organisations such as Kew Gardens or EUFORGEN, to better understand and communicate the importance of the origin of forest reproductive material in afforestation reforestation and in forest tree plantations. The certification of origin is becoming more and more important as it provides information to foresters on the adaptation potential of the forest reproductive material. Some countries have introduced DNA based control systems to check the true origin (region of provenance) of the imported forest tree seeds, parts of plants or plants
The OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme is currently exploring the possibility of using biochemical and molecular techniques, particularly DNA based techniques in registration of basic material of forestry species under the OECD as well as the certification of origin and population of forest reproductive material.
The OECD Forest Scheme discuss the adaptation of the Rules and Regulations of the programme to certification of forest reproductive materials derived from somatic embryogenesis. This technology is used particularly for different conifers to create clones or increase the number available reproductive material.
Upcoming events:
Agricultural Seed Schemes:
• Technical Working Group Meeting 2-6 February 2026, Egypt, TBC.
• 2026 Annual Meeting of the OECD Seed Schemes: 15-19 June 2026, Paris, France, OECD Headquarters,
Forest Seed and Plant Scheme:
• 2025 Annual Meeting of the National Designated Authorities: 23-24 September, OECD Headquarters
• Technical Working Group Meeting: April 2026, Place TBC
Recent publications:
• OECD Seed Schemes: Rules and regulations; 2025 edition Systèmes des semences de l’OCDE : Règles et directives ; édition 2025 (fr)
• List of Varieties Eligible for Seed Certification; July 2025
• OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme “2024” (Rules and Regulations) Système de l’OCDE pour les semences et plants forestiers “2024” (Règles et Directives)
Web sites: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/seeds.html https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/forest-seed-and-plant.html
Promotional video on the OECD Forest Scheme: https://youtu.be/nqGXYz5Sln4
Promotional video on the OECD Seed Schemes: https://youtu.be/o36HW3xd9wk?si=pypSPpivLvCzQZQY
Contact: Csaba Gaspar (TAD/COD)
CO-OPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMME: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEMS
The OECD Co-operative Research Programme: Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems (CRP), which gathers 30 OECD countries, is based on the observation that multi-disciplinary agri-food research is needed to address the gaps in knowledge, deepen understanding and enhance the scientific base of policy. The objectives of the CRP are the following: to provide a sound scientific knowledge base to agricultural policy-making; to contribute to an informed public debate on current and emerging agro-food issues and help resolve conflicting views; and to promote scientific understanding and standards between major regions of OECD. A food systems approach to policy analysis to tackle the “triple challenge” of providing food security and nutrition, and ensuring livelihoods while using natural resources sustainably is in line with the declaration adopted by Agriculture Ministers in 2016 and in 2022 and the work of the Committee for Agriculture. It is also fully aligned with OECD strategic objectives in relation to the need for integrated interdisciplinary approaches in obtaining sustainable solutions. Whilst not specifically mentioned in the title of the Programme, the CRP’s mandate also includes fisheries and forestry research.
Operational features of the Programme involve supporting and promoting international cooperation and networking in the field of basic and applied research. It awards fellowships to scientists from a CRP participating country to conduct research projects in another CRP participating country, and supports financially workshops to address agro-food issues that are high on the science/policy agenda of Members. The CRP strategy emphasises the need to engage a range of scientific disciplines including the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities in an interactive dialogue. The CRP has three pillars, or research themes, as depicted below:
The Co-operative Research Programme’s Call for applications for Event and Fellowship funding in 2026 was launched on 28 April 2025 and will close on 10 September 2025 COB Paris time. The outcome of the selection will be communicated to the applicants in January 2025 at the latest.
By funding events and individual fellowships, the Co-operative Research Programme aims to strengthen scientific knowledge and provide scientific information to feed future policy decisions related to the sustainable use of natural resources, in food, agriculture, forests and fisheries.
CRP (Co-)Sponsored Events (Conferences and Workshops) selected for funding in 2025:
• Bridging Innovation Policy and Practice for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity Growth, Arlington, Virginia, USA on 17-18 April 2025
• Nematodes on the move: Building resilience and sustainability through international collaboration and better policies, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 13-16 July 2025
• Symposium on the agronomic, environmental and societal benefits and risks of using organic soil amendments in agricultural production systems (Symposium on the Use of Organic Soil Amendments), Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia, on 16-18 September 2025
• Strategic Collaboration for Sustainable Wheat Production: Addressing Global Challenges in the OECD, Valencia and Córdoba, Spain, on 1-3 October 2025
• Second International Forum on Agroecosystem Living Labs (IF-ALL): 2025, special session on Living labs experimenting with public policies for our food systems, Bordeaux, France on 15-17 October 2025
• First International Congress on Innovative Technologies for Small and Medium-Sized Rural Agro-Industries: Enhancing Territorial Competitiveness and Resilient Market Access, Medellin, Colombia on 27-29 October 2025
• Advancing Sustainability in Agriculture: Enabling Precision Application of Crop Protection Products by Inclusion in Regulatory Approaches (Processes), Melbourne, Australia, 19-20 February 2026
Information about these are posted on the CRP website
CRP Fellowships selected for funding in 2025:
Theme 1 on Managing natural capital
• Biochar as a tool for the mitigation of microplastics from soil to the food chain
• Ecological resilience in future farming landscapes; an assessment of spatial priorities, tradeoffs, and implications for management and policy
• Ecotoxicological modelling of honeybee mortality in the neotropics: parameterising an individual-based model for environmental risk assessment
• Harnessing plant-microbe interactions for sustainable nitrogen cycling and climate-smart agriculture
• Jointly resolving the spatiotemporal dynamics of recharge and plant water use through a deep root zone
• The effects of forest fire on soil bacterial, fungal and nematode communities and their interactions
Theme 2 on Strengthening resilience in the face of multiple risks in a connected world
• Assessment of climate crisis effects on spreading strategy of insect-borne yellow dwarf virus disease on cereals
• Designing sustainable and climate-resilient lentils (Lens culinaris) applying machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence
• Development of novel resilience indicators using lactation curves and machine learning
• Enhancing citrus crop resilience through plant defense induction and conservation biological control
• Optimising resilience in Western US Corn Belt to climate variability/change
• Physiologically-based toxicokinetic modelling of the transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to growing lambs
• Phytosanitary risk science to support global trade: a collaborative approach
• To quantify changing climatic requirements to develop policy decisions for identifying and expanding citrus production regions
Theme 3 on Transformational technologies and innovation
• Biologically informed deep learning for identifying genetic mutations key to agronomy
• Enhancing conceptual and theoretical foundations for multi-stakeholder innovations in complex sociotechnical systems
• Utilization of B-type gelatin of salmon/cod scales by mixing A-type Tilapia gelatin
• Water observatory: Heterogeneous data integration towards enhancing sustainable water ecosystem
Brief descriptions of these fellowships are posted on the CRP website
Recent publications and papers:
• De la Fuente L. et al. (2023), Phytopathology, Vol. 113, N°6, “Two Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex strains isolated from almond in Spain differ in plasmid content and virulence traits”, APS; https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-06-22-0234-R
• De la Fuente L. et al. (2023), Phytopathology, Vol. 113, N°6, “Complete circularized genome resources of seven strains of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa using hybrid assembly reveals unknown plasmids”, APS; https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-10-22-0396-A
• Gedeon C. et al. (2023), Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 188, 104878, “Predicting microbial responses to changes in soil physical and chemical properties under different land management”, Elsevier; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.104878
• Kelling I., M. Carrigan and A. F. Johnson (2023), Food Security, “Transforming the seafood supply system: challenges and strategies for resilience”, Springer; https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01400-5
• Reyes F., A. Sofo et al. (2023), Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 23, 4078–4090, “Plant growth and root morphology are affected by earthworm-driven (Eisenia sp.) Changes in soil chemico-physical properties: a mesocosm experiment with broccoli and faba bean”, Springer Link; https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01325-0
• Rossignaud, L., D. Kelly, E. B. Spurr, D. J. Flaspohler, R. B. Allen and E. G. Brockerhoff (2022), Avian Conservation and Ecology, 17(2):4 “Trends in bird counts 1978–2020 in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest with variable control of mammalian predators”, The Resilience Alliance; https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02176-170204
Note: The call for the submission of applications for 2026 research fellowship awards and event sponsorship will open in April 2025
All relevant information and application forms will be available on the CRP website, through the link: oe.cd/agriculture-crp (former URL: www.oecd.org/agriculture/crp)
Website: oe.cd/agriculture-crp
Contacts: Marie Russel (TAD/PROG), Lee Ann Jackson (TAD/ATM)
UPCOMING OECD EVENTS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY FROM JUNE 2025
12-13 June 2025
2-3 July 2025
23-24 September 2025
35th Meeting of the OECD’s Farm Level Analysis Network (FLAN), OECD, Paris (Contact: J. Antón, M. Campi, TAD/ARP)
OECD Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum, OECD, Paris (Contact: K. Raiser, ENV)
OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme: Annual Meeting of the National Designated Authorities, OECD, Paris (Contact: C. Gaspar, TAD/COD)
20-22 April 2026 33rd Meeting of the Working Party for the Safety of Novel Foods & Feeds, OECD Paris (Contact: S. Nakano, ENV/EHS)
22-24 April 2026 40th Meeting of the Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, OECD Paris (Contact: S. Nakano, ENV/EHS)
15-19 June 2026
OECD Agricultural Seed Schemes: Annual Meeting, OECD, Paris (Contact: C. Gaspar, TAD/COD)
WHO’S WHO IN BIOTECH AT OECD?
Jane RICHARDSON (ENV/EHS)
Executive Secretary to the ICGB; Head of Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology (Biosafety) and Novel Food & Feed Safety and Pesticides programmes jane.richardson@oecd.org
Marcel ADENÄUER (TAD/ATM)
Agricultural Policy Analyst marcel.adenauer@oecd.org
Jesús ANTÓN (TAD/ARP)
Senior Agricultural Policy Analyst jesus.anton@oecd.org
Cesar BARRAZA-BOTET (STI/STP)
Economist/Policy Analyst cesar.barraza-botet@oecd.org
Enrico BOTTA (ENV)
Economist enrico.botta@oecd.org
Mercedes CAMPI (TAD/ARP)
Agricultural Policy Analyst mercedes.campi@oecd.org
Ester CARREGAL ROMERO (ENV/EHS)
Junior Policy Analyst ester.carregalromero@oecd.org
Koen DECONINCK (TAD/ATM)
Agricultural Policy Analyst koen.deconinck@oecd.org
Annelies DEUSS (TAD/ATM) AMIS policy database annelies.deuss@oecd.org
Csaba GASPAR (TAD/COD)
OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme, OECD Seed Schemes csaba.gaspar@oecd.org
Hubertus GAY (TAD/ATM)
Senior Agricultural Policy Analyst hubertus.gay@oecd.org
Céline GINER (TAD/ATM) Agricultural Policy Analyst celine.giner@oecd.org
Guillaume GRUÈRE (TAD/ARP)
Acting Head of Agricultural and Resource Policies Division guillaume.gruere@oecd.org
Ben HENDERSON (ENV)
Senior Policy Analyst and Team Lead, Horizontal Initiatives ben.henderson@oecd.org
Lee Ann JACKSON (TAD/ATM)
Head of Division, Agro-food Trade and Markets leeann.jackson@oecd.org
Katia KAROUSAKIS (ENV/CBW) Biodiversity Economics and Policy katia.karousakis@oecd.org
Kumi KITAMORI (ENV) Deputy Director of Environment kumi.kitamori@oecd.org
Laura KREILING (STI/STP) Economist/Policy Analyst laura.kreiling@oecd.org
Giulio MAZZONE (ENV/CBW) Economist giulio.mazzone@oecd.org
Jeremy MOORHOUSE (IEA/EMS/RED) Energy Analyst - Renewable Energy & Bioenergy Markets jeremy.moorhouse@iea.org
Daniel NADAL (STI/STP) Junior Economist/Policy Analyst daniel.nadal@oecd.org
Satoshi NAKANO (ENV/EHS) Policy analyst, Biosafety and Biotechnology satoshi.nakano@oecd.org
Edward PERRY (ENV/CBW)
Biodiversity, Land Use and Ecosystems edward.perry@oecd.org
Kilian RAISER (ENV)
Green Growth and GGKP kilian.raiser@oecd.org
Douglas ROBINSON (STI/STP)
Policy Advisor, Bio, Nano, and Converging Technologies douglas.robinson@oecd.org
Marie RUSSEL (TAD/PROG)
Cooperative Research Programme: Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems marie.russel@oecd.org
Magda SACHANA (ENV/EHS)
Policy Analyst, Pesticides, Hazard Assessment magdalini.sachana@oecd.org
Brigitte VAN BEUZEKOM (STI/STP)
Biotechnology Statistics, Nanotechnology Statistics brigitte.vanbeuzekom@oecd.org
Martin VON LAMPE (TAD/ARP)
Agricultural Policies (incl. bioenergy) martin.vonlampe@oecd.org
David WINICKOFF (STI/STP)
Senior Policy Analyst - Secretariat WP Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies david.winickoff@oecd.org
Visit the OECD BioTrack website to access the latest news and previous editions.
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ENDNOTE: A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries1. The mission of the OECD is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. OECD brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy to support economic growth, boost employment, raise living standards, maintain financial stability, assist other countries’ economic development, and contribute to growth in world trade.
The Organisation provides a setting where governments compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, and identify better policies for better lives. An increasing number of nonmember economies participate in a wide range of activities, including some of those related to biotechnology.
The Council of OECD is the highest decision-making body of the Organisation. Its members are the Ambassadors of the Member countries to the OECD. It is chaired by OECD’s Secretary-General. Once a year, it also meets at the level of Ministers from member countries. The Council decides on the annual budget of the Organisation as well as the content of the programme of work.
In addition to the Council, there are more than 300 committees, experts and working groups, which undertake the Organisation’s programme of work. The governments of the Member countries nominate the participants to all these groups.
1 OECD Member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Republic of Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Commission also takes part in the work of the OECD.
