Geneva – In the context of the biweekly Geneva Press Briefings organized by the United Nations Information System (UNIS) in Geneva, the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva regularly collaborates with UNIS to ensure FAO’s activities and messages are delivered to the UN-accredited journalists. In February 2024, two press engagement activities were rolled out to communicate about the latest updates on FAO’s works, including the desert locust situation in Sudan and the global food commodity prices.

Maximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist, spoke at the Geneva Press Briefing to provide an overview of the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) for January 2024. He highlighted that the FFPI fell further in January, albeit slightly, led by decreases in the prices of cereals and meat, which more than offset an increase in the sugar prices. The Cereal Price Index averaged 120.1 points in January, down 2.7 points from December and 27.4 points from its January 2023 value and the Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 122.5 points in January, up marginally by 0.2 points from the previous month. The Dairy Price Index averaged 118.9 points in January, virtually unchanged from its revised December value, while the Meat Price Index averaged 109.8 points in January, down 1.5 points from December, marking the seventh consecutive monthly decline. Finally, the Sugar Price Index averaged 135.3 points in January, up 1.1 points from December.

Adam Yao, Deputy Representative of FAO Sudan, joined the Geneva Press Briefing from Port Sudan and said that the Desert Locust situation in Sudan had significantly worsened since mid-2023. This deterioration could be attributed to the absence of surveillance and control operations in the central and western regions of Sudan, resulting from the ongoing conflict as well as the internal breeding along the Red Sea coast. He said that in December 2023, the Desert Locust situation had reached a threatening level and precipitation in the winter breeding zone during December had created favorable ecological conditions for locust breeding and the formation of locust swarms. In addition, more swarms were expected to invade Sudan from neighboring countries in early 2024 and destroy crops and pastures, particularly in the eastern states. Yao stated that the window between now and the upcoming planting season was a crucial opportunity to implement actions to curb the spread of Desert Locust and safeguard food production of the most vulnerable populations.

FAO Liaison Office in Geneva

Based in Geneva, a hub of international cooperation and multilateral diplomacy, FAO Liaison Office (LOG) promotes to the Geneva-based partners FAO’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda through its 2022-31 Strategic Framework. Moreover, the Liaison Office monitors and informs the Geneva-based deliberations to strategically position the Organization in line with its mandate and champion key thematic issues. As part of its liaison work, FAO in Geneva cooperates with the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva to communicate and highlight the role of food and agriculture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Contact

Ki J. Min, Communication Officer
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