Agriculture Ministers have met only twice at OECD in the last 2 decades, the last time in 1992. Much has changed in agriculture and in the wider world during that time and there is much to discuss and debate. The industries you deal with reflect an extraordinary diversity, from the manicured paddy fields of Japan and Korea to the vast prairies of North America and the flower laden meadows of the Alps. Socio-economic conditions also differ hugely from one country and region to another.
Structures vary from small scale family run farms to large corporate enterprises.
With this diversity come widely differing policy positions and instruments. Your task during the next two days will be to try to find the common ground that will allow you to move forward together to face the new challenges and pressures that are looming. There is little doubt that governments have intervened in agriculture probably more than in any other productive sector. This has translated into persistently higher levels of support and protection than for other sectors, in all but a very small number of OECD countries. And this is still the case in many countries even after a decade of reform effort.