ISLAMABAD: Global government spending on agriculture reached a record $701 billion in 2023, but the sector’s share relative to its economic contribution has declined, according to a new report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The “Tracking Progress on Food and Agriculture-Related SDG Indicators 2025” report reveals that the Agriculture Orientation Index — which compares agricultural spending to the sector’s contribution to GDP — fell from 0.50 in 2015 to 0.43 in 2023, despite the nominal rise in spending.

The FAO warns that the world remains moderately distant from achieving the targets for productive and sustainable agriculture under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), though slight improvements have been observed since 2015.

While there has been some progress, no sub-indicator has yet met the goal for productive and sustainable agriculture. The report notes the world is close to targets in areas such as gross output diversification, cropland nitrogen use efficiency, and agricultural water stress.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2025