The Global Catalog of Agricultural Produce
There is no single world catalog of agriculture. So we built one, by category, country and institution.
Fact-checked against FAO, the World Bank, the WCO and 24 national statistics offices. Every figure traces to a named source, listed in full at the end.
Ask a customs officer, a statistician, a food safety inspector and a supermarket buyer to list the categories of agricultural produce and you will get four different answers, all of them correct. Customs law sorts the harvest into the 24 opening chapters of the Harmonized System. Statisticians count it through FAOSTAT and national censuses. Food safety authorities group it by risk under the Codex Alimentarius. Retail sorts it into GS1 product bricks so a barcode scans the same in Lagos and London.
This reference assembles the world's agricultural catalog from the classification systems that govern trade, lists what belongs in every category with examples from every continent, names one authoritative national source per major agricultural country, and profiles the global institutions that shape agriculture today. It is written to be cited: every figure traces to a named source, and the source directory at the end is the bibliography.
A note on scale before we begin. Agriculture, forestry and fishing account for roughly 4 percent of world GDP but over 25 percent in some of the least developed countries, and global agricultural exports have grown to nearly USD 2 trillion a year, close to four times their level in 2000. Around 500 million smallholder farms of under two hectares make up about 85 percent of the world's farms. When we talk about the catalog of agricultural produce, we are talking about the working inventory of the world's largest employer.
How the world classifies agricultural produce
Four systems, four purposes. Understanding them is the key to reading any agricultural statistic correctly.
| System | Purpose and structure | Who maintains it |
|---|---|---|
| Harmonized System (HS) | Customs classification used by over 200 countries. Chapters 1 to 24 cover all agri-food trade, from live animals and meat to cereals, oilseeds, sugar, cocoa and beverages. | World Customs Organization. HS 2022, with 1,228 headings and 5,612 subheadings. |
| FAOSTAT and the ICC | The world's largest agricultural database: production, trade, land use and food balances for 245+ countries from 1961 to today. National censuses use FAO's Indicative Crop Classification. | Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). |
| Codex Alimentarius | The global food standards referenced by WTO trade law: 237 standards, 87 guidelines and thousands of maximum residue limits across unprocessed and processed foods. | Joint FAO and WHO food standards programme. |
| GS1 GPC | The retail classification behind barcodes and global data synchronisation: Segment, Family, Class and Brick, covering fresh produce and every packaged food line. | GS1, updated twice yearly. |
Two further systems matter at the border: the International Plant Protection Convention governs the phytosanitary certificates that plants need to travel, and WOAH, the World Organisation for Animal Health, sets the animal health codes that govern livestock trade. Together these six systems are why a bag of Nigerian garri, an Ethiopian coffee lot and a New Zealand butter consignment can each cross a border and mean exactly the same thing on both sides.
The catalog: every category of produce
Synthesising the HS chapters, the FAO's crop classification and marketplace practice produces a working catalog of sixteen categories. Three tiers run through it: primary produce (harvested and at most cleaned or chilled), semi-processed produce (dried, milled, fermented, pressed or smoked, but still recognisably the crop), and formulated foods (manufactured recipes, which belong to food industry classifications rather than agriculture proper). Each category name links to its live category on ILEIQ Market.
| Category | What belongs in it (examples across continents) |
|---|---|
| Cereals and grains | Rice (paddy, parboiled, milled; basmati, jasmine, ofada), maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, fonio, teff, oats, rye. The largest food category in world trade. |
| Roots and tubers | Cassava, yam, potato, sweet potato, cocoyam (taro), plantain as a starchy staple. Nigeria alone grows about 60 million tonnes of cassava a year, roughly a fifth of the world's crop. |
| Legumes and pulses | Cowpea (black-eyed pea), chickpea, lentil, haricot and other beans, pigeon pea, soybean (dual-listed with oil crops), groundnut. Canada is the world's largest lentil exporter; India the largest pulse producer. |
| Vegetables | Tomato, onion, pepper (fresh), okra, leafy greens (ugu, spinach, amaranth), brassicas, cucurbits. China is the world's largest vegetable producer. |
| Fruits | Banana, mango, citrus, avocado, pineapple, dates, berries, apples, grapes. Mexico is the world's largest avocado exporter; Egypt the largest date producer; South Africa the second largest citrus exporter. |
| Nuts, seeds and dried produce | Cashew, groundnut, tiger nut, kola, sesame (benniseed), egusi (melon seed), ogbono, sheanut, almond, dried fruit and vegetables, dried mushrooms. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's top raw cashew producer; Vietnam its top processor. |
| Oil crops, oils and butters | Oil palm (red palm oil, zomi, palm kernel oil), soybean, canola, sunflower, coconut, sesame, olive, shea butter, cocoa butter. Indonesia produces over half the world's palm oil; Canada is the largest canola grower; Argentina the top soybean oil and meal exporter. |
| Sugar crops and natural sweeteners | Sugarcane, sugar beet, jaggery and gur, palm and coconut sugar, date syrup. Brazil is the world's largest sugar exporter. |
| Beverage crops | Cocoa (dried fermented beans, nibs, powder), coffee (green and roasted; arabica and robusta), tea, hibiscus (zobo, karkade), mate. Cote d'Ivoire grows roughly 40 percent of the world's cocoa; Ethiopia is arabica's birthplace and Africa's largest producer; Vietnam is the world's robusta powerhouse; Kenya the leading black tea exporter. |
| Spices, herbs and seasonings | Pepper (dried and ground), ginger, turmeric, suya spice (yaji), berbere, iru (dawadawa), curry blends, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, moringa, baobab. India is the world's largest spice producer and exporter; Vietnam the largest black pepper exporter; Zanzibar's clove trade named the Spice Islands. |
| Flours and processed staples | Garri (white, yellow, Ijebu), fufu, elubo (yam flour), poundo yam, attieke, lafun, cassava flour, plantain flour, maize meal (ugali, sadza), semolina, rice flour, tapioca starch, sago, besan. The shelf-stable heart of the diaspora food trade. |
| Fibre and industrial crops | Cotton (Egypt's long-staple is the benchmark), sisal, jute, rubber (Thailand grows about a third of the world's natural rubber), tobacco, bamboo. |
| Livestock and animal products | Cattle, sheep, goats, camels; beef, lamb, wool, hides, dairy (milk, butter, cheese, ghee, milk powder). India is the world's largest milk producer with about a quarter of global output; New Zealand the largest single-country dairy exporter. |
| Poultry and eggs | Broilers, layers, eggs, day-old chicks, turkeys, guinea fowl. The fastest growing meat category worldwide. |
| Aquaculture and fisheries | Catfish, tilapia, shrimp, pangasius, tuna, seaweed, fishmeal. China leads world aquaculture; Vietnam and Thailand are leading processed seafood exporters. |
| Apiculture and other | Honey (liquid, raw, comb), beeswax, propolis; also mushrooms and truffles, ornamental plants, seeds for planting, and forest products such as gum arabic. |
Where do agricultural inputs sit? Seeds for planting, fertilizers, crop protection, tools and machinery are agriculture's supply side rather than its produce, and every classification system keeps them separate (the HS files fertilizers under chapter 31 and machinery under 84). A complete agricultural marketplace carries both sides of that line; the catalog above is the produce side.
Africa: the catalog and its sources
Africa holds about 60 percent of the world's remaining uncultivated arable land and some of its most distinctive produce lines, from Ijebu garri to Zanzibar cloves. The African Union's CAADP framework, through the Kampala Declaration and its 2026 to 2035 strategy, targets a 45 percent increase in agrifood output and a tripling of intra-African agricultural trade. One authoritative national source per country:
| Country | Signature produce | Authoritative source and a fact to cite |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Cassava (garri, fufu), yam, maize, sorghum, rice, cocoa, oil palm, groundnut | National Bureau of Statistics (nigerianstat.gov.ng), National Agricultural Sample Census. World's largest cassava producer at about 60 million tonnes a year. |
| Kenya | Tea, coffee, cut flowers, avocado, French beans, maize, dairy | Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey (knbs.or.ke). World's leading black tea exporter. |
| Ethiopia | Coffee, teff, sesame, maize, wheat, pulses, livestock | Ethiopian Statistics Service Agricultural Sample Survey (ess.gov.et). Africa's largest coffee producer; coffee earns roughly a third of exports. |
| Ghana | Cocoa, cassava, yam, plantain, shea, cashew | Ghana Cocoa Board (cocobod.gh) with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture SRID. World's second largest cocoa producer. |
| Cote d'Ivoire | Cocoa, raw cashew, robusta coffee, rubber, cotton, attieke | Le Conseil du Cafe-Cacao (conseilcafecacao.ci). World's number one cocoa producer, roughly 40 to 45 percent of global supply, and top raw cashew grower. |
| South Africa | Citrus, wine, maize, apples and pears, wool, macadamias | Department of Agriculture, Abstract of Agricultural Statistics (nda.gov.za). World's second largest citrus exporter. |
| Egypt | Wheat, rice, long-staple cotton, dates, citrus, sugar crops | CAPMAS Annual Bulletin of Crop Production (capmas.gov.eg). World's largest date producer at about 1.7 million tonnes. |
| Tanzania | Cashew, cloves, coffee, cotton, sisal, sesame | National Bureau of Statistics agricultural census and surveys (nbs.go.tz). Record cashew crop of about 400,000 tonnes in 2023/24. |
| Morocco | Olives and olive oil, citrus, tomatoes, argan oil, cereals, berries | Ministry of Agriculture (agriculture.gov.ma), Generation Green strategy. A leading fresh produce supplier to the EU; agriculture employs about a third of the workforce. |
Asia: the world's production heartland
Asia grows and eats more of the world's food than any other region. Its statistical offices are among the most closely watched data releases in global commodity markets.
| Country | Signature produce | Authoritative source and a fact to cite |
|---|---|---|
| India | Rice and basmati, wheat, milk, spices, sugarcane, cotton, tea | Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, Directorate of Economics and Statistics (desagri.gov.in); APEDA for exports. World's largest milk producer, about a quarter of global output, and largest spice producer and exporter. |
| China | Rice, wheat, maize, vegetables, pork, aquaculture, tea, apples | National Bureau of Statistics of China (stats.gov.cn/english). Record grain harvest of 706.5 million tonnes in 2024, the first above 700. |
| Indonesia | Palm oil, rubber, coffee, cocoa, coconut, nutmeg, pepper, cloves | BPS Statistics Indonesia estate crop statistics (bps.go.id/en). World's largest palm oil producer, over half of global output. |
| Vietnam | Rice, robusta coffee, cashew processing, black pepper, shrimp and pangasius, durian | General Statistics Office (gso.gov.vn/en); Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. World's second coffee exporter and largest robusta grower; coffee exports of USD 5.5 billion in 2024. |
| Thailand | Jasmine rice, natural rubber, cassava and tapioca, sugar, tropical fruit, seafood | Office of Agricultural Economics (oae.go.th). World's largest natural rubber producer, about a third of global supply, 90 percent grown by smallholders. |
Europe: the UK and the European Union
Europe pairs temperate production with the world's densest food regulation, and its statistical sources are correspondingly deep.
| Country / bloc | Signature produce | Authoritative source and a fact to cite |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Wheat, barley, milk, beef, lamb, poultry, oilseed rape; Scotch whisky is the top agri-food export | Defra, Agriculture in the United Kingdom, accredited official statistics (gov.uk). About 70 percent of UK land is agricultural. |
| European Union | Cereals, dairy and cheese, wine, olive oil, pork, sugar beet | Eurostat agriculture statistics (ec.europa.eu/eurostat) and the CAP Agri-food Data Portal (agridata.ec.europa.eu). The EU produces over 60 percent of the world's wine and counted over 9 million farms in its 2020 census; it is the world's largest agri-food exporter. |
| France | Soft wheat, wine, dairy and cheese, sugar beet, beef, rapeseed | Agreste, the ministry's statistics service (agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr). The EU's largest agricultural producer at roughly 18 percent of the bloc's output value. |
The Americas: the export powerhouse
From the US Corn Belt to the Brazilian cerrado and the Argentine pampas, the Americas set the price of the world's traded grains and oilseeds.
| Country | Signature produce | Authoritative source and a fact to cite |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Corn, soybeans, wheat, beef, dairy, poultry, cotton | USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Quick Stats (nass.usda.gov). World's largest corn producer; the 2025 crop set a record 17 billion bushels. |
| Brazil | Soybeans, coffee, sugar, beef, corn, orange juice, cotton | IBGE Municipal Agricultural Production and CONAB forecasts (ibge.gov.br). World's largest exporter of soybeans, coffee, sugar and beef; 2025 soybean exports near 109 million tonnes. |
| Argentina | Soybean meal and oil, corn, wheat, beef, sunflower | Secretaria de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Pesca crop estimates (magyp.gob.ar). World's number one soybean meal and soybean oil exporter. |
| Mexico | Avocado, tomatoes, berries, peppers, white maize, agave | SIAP, Servicio de Informacion Agroalimentaria y Pesquera (gob.mx/agricultura). World's largest avocado exporter, a record USD 4 billion in 2025. |
| Canada | Canola, wheat and durum, lentils and pulses, barley, pork, maple | Statistics Canada agriculture statistics with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (statcan.gc.ca). World's largest canola and lentil producer and exporter; record 40 million tonne wheat crop in 2025. |
Oceania: quality at distance
Small populations and vast farmland make Australia and New Zealand two of the world's most export-oriented producers.
| Country | Signature produce | Authoritative source and a fact to cite |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Wheat, beef, wool, barley, lamb, canola, sugar, wine | ABARES, the national commodity forecaster (agriculture.gov.au/abares). Gross agricultural production forecast near AUD 98 billion for 2026/27. |
| New Zealand | Dairy (milk powder, butter, cheese), lamb, beef, kiwifruit, Sauvignon Blanc | Ministry for Primary Industries, Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (mpi.govt.nz). World's largest single-country dairy exporter, about 22 percent of global dairy trade, with 95 percent of its milk production exported. |
The institutions that shape world agriculture
Behind every national catalog stand the global institutions that finance, standardise and study agriculture. Anyone referencing world agriculture should know these by name:
- FAO and FAOSTAT: the UN's lead agency for food and agriculture, and the largest agricultural database on earth, with free data for 245+ countries from 1961 onward. The first stop for any production or trade figure.
- The World Bank: the largest multilateral financier of agriculture; its World Development Indicators carry the sector's headline economics, and its AgriConnect initiative targets services for 300 million smallholders.
- The WTO Agreement on Agriculture: the treaty that has governed agricultural trade since 1995, covering market access, domestic support and export competition.
- IFAD: the only global institution dedicated exclusively to financing rural development and smallholder investment.
- The World Food Programme: the world's largest humanitarian food assistance agency and 2020 Nobel Peace laureate.
- CGIAR: the world's largest agricultural research partnership, 15 centers including IITA in Ibadan, IRRI for rice and CIMMYT for maize and wheat. The improved varieties on most smallholder farms trace here.
- The OECD and the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook: the standard ten-year projection of world commodity markets and the authoritative monitor of farm policy support.
- Codex Alimentarius, the WCO Harmonized System, the IPPC and WOAH: the standards quartet, governing food safety, customs, plant health and animal health respectively.
- The African Union CAADP framework and the IICA: shape continental agricultural policy in Africa and the Americas.
World agriculture in numbers
- Global agricultural exports are approaching USD 2 trillion a year, roughly 8 percent of world merchandise trade and nearly four times the level of 2000 (FAO).
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing generate about 4 percent of world GDP, but over 25 percent in some least developed countries (World Bank, World Development Indicators).
- About 500 million smallholder farms of under two hectares represent roughly 85 percent of all farms worldwide (FAO, The State of Food and Agriculture).
- FAOSTAT tracks agriculture across 245+ countries and territories; the Harmonized System's 24 agri-food chapters carry over a thousand headings; Codex maintains 237 food standards.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main categories of agricultural produce?
Sixteen working categories cover the field: cereals and grains, roots and tubers, legumes and pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, oil crops and oils, sugar crops and sweeteners, beverage crops (cocoa, coffee, tea), spices and herbs, flours and processed staples, fibre crops, livestock and animal products, poultry and eggs, aquaculture and fisheries, and apiculture.
What is the difference between primary and processed agricultural produce?
Primary produce is harvested and at most cleaned, graded or chilled (fresh yam, raw milk). Semi-processed produce has been stabilised by drying, milling, fermenting, pressing or smoking but is still recognisably the crop (garri, palm oil, dried cocoa beans, cheese). Formulated foods (biscuits, soft drinks) are manufactured recipes and sit outside agriculture proper.
Which countries lead in which produce?
A few anchors: Nigeria leads world cassava; Cote d'Ivoire cocoa; India milk and spices; China grain, vegetables and pork; Indonesia palm oil; Thailand rubber; Vietnam robusta coffee and black pepper; Brazil soybeans, coffee, sugar and beef exports; the US corn; Canada canola and lentils; Mexico avocados; Egypt dates; Kenya black tea exports; New Zealand dairy exports; the EU wine.
Where do I find official agricultural statistics for a country?
Start with FAOSTAT for any country, then go national. The source directory names the authoritative statistical office or ministry for twenty four countries and blocs, from Nigeria's NBS to the USDA and Eurostat.
What HS codes cover agricultural products?
Chapters 1 to 24 of the Harmonized System cover agri-food, from live animals through beverages, with inputs elsewhere: fertilizers in chapter 31 and agricultural machinery in chapter 84.
Source directory
The bibliography. Every figure in this reference traces to one of these primary sources.
Global institutions and systems
National sources
Every category in this catalog is live on ILEIQ Market.
The world's marketplace for agriculture. Verified buyers and sellers, escrow-protected payments, logistics in one flow.