The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) is proud to support the launch of the 2025 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report™, hosted by the GAP Initiative at Virginia Tech. The event will take place on October 1 at Google’s Fulton Market offices in Chicago, IL, bringing together leaders from across agriculture, research, policy, and industry.
Now in its 15th year, the GAP Report™ has become the premier source of data and analysis on global agricultural productivity. This year’s theme, “The TFP Growth Frontier: Plateaus and Progress in Agricultural Productivity Growth,” introduces a new model that helps stakeholders visualize how productivity gains evolve over time, where growth is plateauing, and which strategies and investments are needed to restore momentum.
Key Findings from the 2025 GAP Report
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Global slowdown: Agricultural productivity growth has slowed to 0.76% annually, just one-third of the 2% growth rate needed to sustainably meet future demand.
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U.S. stagnation: The United States averaged -0.05% productivity growth during the past decade. In contrast, China surged ahead at 1.9%, fueled by strong R&D investment and rapid technology adoption.
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Global disparities: While countries like India, Brazil, and Vietnam are rapidly advancing, much of Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America continue to rely on land expansion and input intensification—approaches that may provide short-term gains but threaten long-term sustainability.
These findings underscore the urgency of rethinking how agricultural systems invest in innovation, adopt proven tools, and integrate sustainable practices to meet rising global demand for food, fuel, and fiber.
What to Expect at the Launch
The Chicago event will convene farmers, agribusiness leaders, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to discuss the report’s implications and explore solutions. Highlights include:
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Keynote address by Benjamin Riensche, owner and manager of Blue Diamond Farming Company, on the role of technology and sustainability in modern farming.
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Presentation by Dr. Tom Thompson, Executive Editor of the GAP Report and Associate Dean at Virginia Tech, spotlighting U.S. agricultural productivity trends.
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Panel discussion with leaders from Corteva, Bayer, John Deere, Mosaic, International Farming, and Syngenta, focused on charting a path for America’s agricultural productivity revival.
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Policy Lab sessions using Google’s Agentspace platform, where participants will collaborate in real time to craft evidence-based advocacy messages.
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An afternoon tour of the Farm Foundation Innovation & Education Center, showcasing cutting-edge practices and tools that are shaping the future of agriculture.
Why It Matters
At a time when global demand for agricultural products is rising—driven by population growth, rising incomes, and expanding non-food uses—the slowdown in productivity growth threatens food security, farm profitability, and environmental sustainability. The GAP Report calls for bold, coordinated action: scaling up proven tools, investing in R&D, modernizing policies, and enabling emerging economies to leapfrog to advanced systems.
For CAST, this partnership reflects our mission to advance science-based solutions for agriculture and to provide platforms where evidence can guide meaningful action. By helping share the findings of the GAP Report, CAST continues to connect research, innovation, and policy with the real-world needs of farmers and the global agri-food system.
👉 Learn more about the event and register here: globalagriculturalproductivity.org/2025-gap-report
