Key Takeaways
- Agricultural production in OECD countries grew by over 30% between 1990 and 2023, while agricultural land decreased — pointing to gains in land productivity.
- Since 2013, production has grown faster than key inputs including energy, freshwater, and fertiliser, indicating relative decoupling of environmental pressures from output growth.
- Nitrogen and phosphorus balances and agricultural ammonia emissions have declined in absolute terms over the past decade, though some gains may reflect temporary fertiliser price effects post-2021.
- Total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions have remained broadly stable since 1990 despite production growth, but the pace of improvement in emissions intensity has slowed since the 2000s.
- Farmland biodiversity has deteriorated in most reporting OECD countries, linked to agricultural intensification, habitat loss, and land-use change.
OECD: Agricultural Production Up 30% Since 1990, but Biodiversity and Emissions Gains Lag
Agriculture in OECD countries has become meaningfully more efficient over the past three decades, but environmental performance remains mixed — that is the headline finding of the 2026 update of the Environmental Performance of Agriculture in OECD Countries report. Between 1990 and 2023, agricultural production increased by more than 30% while the total area of agricultural land contracted. Since 2013, output growth has outpaced growth in energy consumption, freshwater abstraction, and fertiliser use — a pattern the OECD characterises as relative decoupling between environmentally sensitive inputs and agricultural production.
Nutrient Balances and Ammonia Emissions Improving, With Caveats
Nitrogen and phosphorus balances and agricultural ammonia emissions have both declined in absolute terms over the past ten years, which the report identifies as encouraging progress. However, the OECD cautions that part of the improvement in nutrient balances since 2021 may be linked to elevated fertiliser prices rather than structural changes in farm management, raising questions about whether the trend will hold as input costs normalise.
GHG Emissions Stable; Biodiversity Under Pressure
Total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions have remained broadly stable since 1990, meaning that emissions per unit of production have declined significantly as output has grown. However, overall emission levels have not fallen in absolute terms, and the rate of improvement in emissions intensity has slowed since the 2000s. The report flags this deceleration as a concern for long-term climate targets.
Farmland biodiversity presents the clearest area of deterioration. The OECD's biodiversity index, while subject to measurement limitations, points to declining trends across most countries that report on the indicator. The drivers identified include agricultural intensification, habitat loss, and changes in land use associated with modern production systems.
Policy Action Needed to Sustain Gains Per The OECD
The OECD concludes that agriculture across member countries is becoming more input-efficient, which represents meaningful progress toward environmental sustainability. At the same time, the report underlines that efficiency gains alone are not sufficient — deteriorating biodiversity outcomes and slowing improvement rates in several indicators point to the need for stronger, more targeted policy interventions. The report calls for measures that can reduce overall environmental pressures while supporting productive and resilient food systems across OECD economies.
