GIEWS February 2008 (No.1) Crop Prospects and Food Situation is now available
Early prospects point to the possibility of a significant increase in world cereal production in 2008, mainly following expansion of winter grain plantings in Europe and the United States coupled with generally satisfactory weather conditions.

International prices of most cereals remain high and some are still on the increase. Continuing strong demand and dwindling stocks are providing the backdrop to a prevailing tight global cereal supply and demand situation in the current 2007/08 marketing season, keeping upward pressure on international markets...

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GIEWS Special Report on Ethiopia is now available.
Cereal and pulse production from the 2007/08 meher season in Ethiopia is estimated at 21.5 million tonnes from 12.25 million ha, a 7 percent increase on 2006’s post-harvest estimate. This represents the fourth consecutive bumper harvest.
Generally well-distributed and timely rainfall, increased use of fertiliser and improved seeds, and very low pressure from pests and diseases, together with expansion in cultivated area, accounted for the bumper crops.
Throughout the country, grain and livestock prices remain firm or rising, boosted by a combination of economic growth and effective demand, formal and informal trade, higher oil prices, local purchases by cooperatives and relief agencies, and expectations of further price hikes.
Livestock and pasture conditions are generally good over most of the country and livestock prices are firm or increasing, boosted by increased domestic demand and improved export position to countries in the Middle East. [ more... ]

Commodity Market Review 2007-2008
The biennial publication Commodity Market Review (CMR) analyses important agricultural commodity market developments likely to have significant implications for FAO member countries, both developed and developing. This issue of the Review is devoted to exploring in depth a variety of issues related to global agricultural commodity value chains. Value chains have become more complex as production and processing activities turn out to be increasingly fragmented. Moreover, concentration and the prospective of market power, as well as the emergent scope of food standards add to this complexity. This issue includes articles that focus on both cross-commodity issues, such as strategic trade, foreign direct investment and the effectiveness of technical regulation, as well as on characteristics of individual commodity value chains, such as coffee, cocoa and frozen concentrated orange juice, which are of particular interest in terms of industrial organization. [ more... ]

The Food Outlook November 2007 is now available
Agricultural commodity prices rose sharply in 2006 and, in some cases, are soaring at an even faster pace this year. The FAO food price index rose by 9 percent in 2006 compared to the previous year. In September 2007 it stood at 172 points, representing a year-on-year jump in value of roughly 37 percent. The surge in prices has been led primarily by dairy and grains, but prices of other commodities, with the exception of sugar, have also increased significantly. [ more... ]

Growing bio-fuel demand underpinning higher agriculture prices
04/07/2007
4 July 2007 - Increased demand for bio-fuels is causing fundamental changes to agricultural markets, according to a joint OECD-FAO report. [ more... ]

New trade rules expected to benefit some developing countries
11/04/2007
11 April 2007 – Multilateral agricultural trade policy reform is expected to stimulate trade and economic growth, says FAO, but any new trade rules need to be compatible with the first Millennium Development Goal. [ more... ]