The agricultural sector accounts for 3.8 percent of the GDP of Barbados and 2.9 percent of its jobs. The Government of Barbados considers agriculture to be one of the nation’s potential growth drivers and supports it through a combination of incentives and concessions to agricultural producers, high border protection, and support to research and infrastructure. Support to producers in Barbados averaged 33.4 percent of gross farm receipts in the latest 3 years of the study (2012-2014), while a significant share of total support (38 percent) was provided in the form of transfers to general services. Total transfers arising from agricultural policy reached 1.1 percent of the national GDP. All types of support decreased during the period of study, but the share of price support in support to producers increased. Reorienting agricultural policy from input subsidies and per-hectare payments towards support to general services would be beneficial for agricultural competitiveness and build a foundation for sustainable growth in agriculture.

Recognising the challenge facing policy makers who wish to design more precisely targeted policies, this study defines the operational characteristics of targeted policies and illustrates best practice with examples. It examines the relationship between target variables and objectives, implementation issues such as choice of instruments and support level, delivery mechanisms and levels of administration at which policies are implemented, based on examples of targeted policies implemented in OECD countries.

This annual report monitors and evaluates agricultural policies spanning all six continents, including the 36 OECD countries, the five non-OECD EU Member States, and 13 emerging economies.

This annual report monitors and evaluates agricultural policies in 54 countries, including the 38 OECD countries, the five non-OECD EU Member States, and 11 emerging economies. This year’s report focuses on policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and analyses the implications of agricultural support policies for the performance of food systems.

The report, comprising a main report and case studies on Canada, France, Greece, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland, addresses socio-economic developement of rural areas.