World Food Situation - Analysis and Reports
An archive of documents contained on the World Food Situation Portal
The Breakdown of the Doha Round Negotiations - What Does It Mean for Dealing with Soaring Food Prices?
WTO Provisions in the Context of Responding to Soaring food Prices
National Policy Responses to High Food Prices
Food Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean
Asia Pacific Food Situation Update
A Back of the Envelope Estimation of the Effect of Soaring Food Prices on World Hunger
This paper suggests a methodology for estimating the effects of higher food prices on global undernourishment. The paper also presents the results of its implementation. The merits and drawbacks of this methodology are also discussed. The estimations of the number of new undernourished as a result of the current agricultural commodity price boom should not be taken as official FAO estimates, but rather as an illustration of the proposed methodology, and the promotion of an ongoing discussion.
Have Recent Increases in International Cereal Prices Been Transmitted to Domestic Economies?
International cereal prices (in US dollar terms) have been increasing since 2003, but it is domestic prices that affect food consumption and production. This paper analyzes, for seven large Asian countries, the extent to which domestic prices have increased since 2003 and presents several conclusions. First, the data show that the increases in world cereal prices have been accompanied by a real depreciation of the US dollar. For many countries (but not all), this depreciation has neutralized a substantial proportion of the increase in world prices. Second, domestic commodity specific policies in several of these Asian countries have further stabilized domestic prices relative to the change in world prices. This has been especially true for rice, the main staple food in the region, but it is also true for wheat. On average, through the end of 2007, the increase in real domestic rice prices was about one-third of the increase in real US dollar world market rice prices. Third, for the specific cases analyzed here, producer or farmgate prices have changed by approximately the same percentage as consumer prices. Thus, in these Asian countries, domestic markets seem to be transmitting price changes between farmers and consumers rather efficiently. Fourth, the experience with urea fertilizer prices is more heterogeneous: some countries are following free trade, while others have stabilized prices in nominal terms.
Growing Demand on Agriculture and Rising Prices of Commodities
The recent rapid increases in the international prices of many basic food commodities have raised many questions from policy-makers, the media, the public, and the farmers who have the opportunity to benefit from the situation. Those who have the most reason to be concerned are the vulnerable people who have to adjust to the consequences of
their decreased purchasing power, which in some cases, affects their ability to buy enough food to feed their families.
Current World Fertilizer Trends and Outlook to 2011/2012
This report presents world nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizer medium term supply and demand projections for the period 2007/08
to 2011/12. The FAO/Fertilizer Industry Working Group made the forecasts in October 2007. The balances in Annexes 2-4 present a medium-term indication for possible changes in fertilizer nutrient demand and supply by region and subregion. Changes in installed supply capacity, operating rates and demand vary annually. Annex 1
provides explanatory notes on supply and demand balances.
Soaring Food Prices: Facts, Perspectives, Impacts and Actions Required
The world is experiencing a dramatic increase in food prices. During the first three months of 2008, international nominal prices of all major food commodities reached their highest levels in nearly 50 years while prices in real terms were the highest in nearly 30 years. Although the food market situation differs from country to country and future evolution remains highly uncertain, best projections suggest that food prices are likely to remain high in the next few years and high prices are expected to affect most developing country markets.
EBRD-FAO report: Fighting food inflation
Agricultural prices have risen sharply in the past two years. They are forecast to remain high in the medium term. Higher food prices are of concern to policy-makers as they affect consumers. On the other hand, they are a unique opportunity for farmers. Higher agricultural prices improve farmers’ incomes and foster investment in agriculture. This is especially relevant for Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine, the main agricultural producers in the CIS. Compared to other regions of the world, these three countries have a significant unrealized grain production potential. At least 13 million hectares of unused farm land – abandoned during transition – could be returned to production, with no major environmental cost. There are no policy measures restricting the return of this land to production.
Current World Fertilizer Trends and Outlook to 2011/2012
This report presents world nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizer medium term supply and demand projections for the period 2007/08 to 2011/12. The FAO/Fertilizer Industry Working Group made the forecasts in October 2007. The balances in Annexes 2-4 present a medium-term indication for possible changes in fertilizer nutrient demand and supply by region and subregion. Changes in installed supply capacity, operating rates and demand vary annually. Annex 1 provides explanatory notes on supply and demand balances.
Growing demand on agriculture and rising prices of commodities
An opportunity for smallholders in low-income, agricultural-based countries?
The recent rapid increases in the international prices of many basic food commodities have raised many questions from policy-makers, the media, the public, and the farmers who have the opportunity to benefit from the situation. Those who have the most reason to be concerned are the vulnerable people who have to adjust to the consequences of their decreased purchasing power, which in some cases, affects their ability to buy enough food to feed their families. This paper, prepared as background to the Round Table discussions at IFAD’s 31st Governing Council, provides a framework for focusing the discussions around the challenges identified and the policy options available to address those challenges.
