Over the period 1990 – 2021 covered in this report, agricultural production in OECD countries has significantly increased, while environmental performance showed mixed results.
On the positive side, while agricultural output grew by 40% over this period, agricultural area decreased by 10% and agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by 4% only, reflecting significant productivity gains in the sector and the positive environmental impact resulting from the adoption of more climate-efficient farming practices.
Progress in terms of environmental performance, however, has slowed over the past 10-15 years.
Agricultural GHG emissions in OECD countries that were previously stable started to increase at an average rate of 0.4% per year in the 2010s. Meanwhile, the decline in the median emission intensity has slowed down, dropping from -0.6% per year in the 1990s and 2000s to -0.2% per year in the 2010s.
From 1990 to 2009, nutrient surpluses also showed a marked decline across OECD countries, reflecting the observed improvements in nutrient management or reduced fertiliser use in many countries. However, this progress appears to have stalled since 2010, and OECD maximum nitrogen balance has even increased.
The trend of ammonia emissions at the OECD level has also changed in the last decade. Data show a downward trend up to 2015, followed afterwards by a reversal, with an average increase in emissions of 2.8% per year between 2015 and 2021. This could be the source of potential environmental threats in the most affected regions.
Between 2011 and 2021, total agricultural land area in OECD countries remained relatively stable, although cropland area declined at an average annual rate of 0.7% and pasture area expanded by 0.4% per year. Combined with the observed increase in use of agricultural inputs, this trend suggests a slight intensification overall of cropland production in OECD countries.
Farmland bird population continued to decline in 22 of the 27 OECD countries that monitored this indicator over 2009-21, revealing the importance to better mitigate the pressures exerted by human activities and other disturbances on biodiversity.