The 26th issue of the Food Chain Crisis (FCC) Early Warning Bulletin, covering the period between January and March 2018, integrates and analyzes information on transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases threatening the food chain for the three months ahead, grouped by region and by country. 

In this edition:Twenty-eight plant and forest pests and diseases (including Fall Armyworm) and animal and aquatic diseases were forecasted by FAO experts for the period January to March 2018.

A total of 215 forecasts were conducted in 111 countries. 

The purpose of the FCC Early Warning Bulletin is to inform FAO and other international organizations, countries, scientific experts, and decision makers on the forecast of threats to animal and plant health and food safety having a potential high impact on food and nutrition security for the three months ahead. These threats are transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases including forest pests and aquatic diseases, and food safety threats.

The bulletin contains official and unofficial information from various sources collected and analyzed by FAO experts.

The FCC Early Warning Bulletin is a product of collaboration between the Intelligence and Coordination Unit of the Food Chain Crisis Management Framework (FCC-ICU), the FAO Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) for transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases and food safety threats, the FAO Global Early Warning System for transboundary animal diseases, including zoonoses (GLEWS), and the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). FCC-ICU coordinates and produces the bulletin.