DOWNLOAD: Banking on public bucks

For farmers in search of funding, every little helps – and when it comes to government support, it’s not so little. In this interactive presentation, we look at the most generous countries, the crops that benefit and conditionality attached to public money.

Over the past three years, OECD countries have spent a total of $620 billion a year on average to support the agricultural industry. The vast majority of this – 78 percent – was transferred to individual producers, accounting for 15 percent of gross farm receipts.

Yet the picture varies markedly across crops and, above all, geographies. Using data provided by the OECD, we’ve mapped out where states are most generous and how they spend their money. In some countries, taxpayer support comes at the expense of consumers. In others, consumers also receive a helping hand to fill their shopping trolley.

Across the world, the prevalent model continues to reward production, with little conditionality attached. However, as states look to better prepare agriculture for the long-term challenges it faces, some countries have started to change tack.

Click on our presentation above to follow the public money trail. Here is also a link to a downloadable version.