المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

FAO/GIEWS has released a Special Alert on the drought in East Africa.

The highlights:

• Prevailing severe dry weather conditions, virtually since October 2016, have affected rangelands and crops in large parts of East Africa, causing a serious deterioration of food security conditions in the subregion.
• Major areas of concern are central and southern Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, northern and eastern Kenya, northern United Republic of Tanzania, and northeastern and southwestern Uganda.
• Localized Fall armyworm infestations are likely to further affect yields in the affected areas.
• Soaring prices of cereals are limiting food access for large numbers of poor households.
• The purchasing power of pastoral households in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia is severely constrained by plunging prices of livestock and rising prices of cereals.
• Recurrent climatic shocks have undermined household resilience. Urgent support to agricultural livelihoods is critically needed.

The Special Alert can be accessed through the following link: 

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7537e.pdf.

The latest issue of the FPMA Bulletin FAO/GIEWS monthly report on food price trends at world, regional and country level, with a focus on countries where prices of one or more basic food commodity are at abnormal high levels in main markets, has been released.

Main highlights of this issue are higher international prices of wheat and rice, while at sub-regional level, a general increase in prices of rice in Asia and the new harvests in East Africa are putting downward pressure on cereal prices, which, however, remain at near-record levels.

KEY MESSAGES

• International wheat prices generally increased in June on quality concerns amid unfavourable growing conditions for the 2017 crops in some key producing countries. Export prices of maize remained generally unchanged, while rice quotations continued to increase mainly on account of strong demand.
• In East Africa, cereal prices either remain stable or declined in June with the new 2017 harvests, but remained at near-record levels in several countries. Prices increased sharply in the past several months, due to tight supplies because of drought-reduced 2016 second season crops and concerns about the overall performance of this year’s harvests following poor rains and crop pests.
• In Asia, sustained demand further underpinned domestic prices of rice in exporting countries in June. Elsewhere in the subregion, rice prices rose further and reached record highs in Bangladesh, reflecting losses incurred in the 2017 main season crop, coupled with reduced production and imports in 2016. In Sri Lanka, an anticipated reduction in the 2017 output continued to support prices of rice.

The report can be accessed through the following link:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7536e.pdf.

FAO has released the quarterly Global Early Warning Early Action Report for July - September 2017.

The report is a summary of major risks to agriculture and food security including their likelihood and the extent of their probable impact. It provides recommendations on early action in relation to food security and agriculture to mitigate or prevent the potential impact of the anticipated disasters. Early actions can include activities such as protecting livelihood assets to mitigate or prevent the impact of the disaster on preparedness activities. As such, a critical link is established between early warning information and concrete operational programming, thereby supporting more effective prioritization, advocacy and operational decision making. 

The report can be accessed through the following link: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7453e.pdf.

12:30 - 14:30 Rome time, FAO Headquarters.

This Special Event will provide government representatives, UN entities, civil society and the private sector and other stakeholders with a platform to share experiences in accelerating progress towards gender equality and rural women’s empowerment. It will highlight forward-looking strategies and partnerships in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty.

Rural women play an important role in agriculture and rural development, and make a strong contribution to food security and nutrition at household and community levels. Worldwide, there is an increasing recognition that rural women must be at the centre of any intervention to promote sustainable agriculture and eradicate food insecurity and poverty. The 2030 Agenda envisages a future in which no one is left behind, where achieving gender equality and empowering women is an absolute precondition to break the cycle of poverty and hunger, and to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event can be followed on webcast: http://www.fao.org/webcast

Programme

Opening remarks

José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO

Presentation on FAO’s technical work on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Kostas Stamoulis, Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Development Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO

Panel discussion

• His Excellency Hugo Martinez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador

• Her Excellency Néziha Labidi, Minister of Women and Family Affairs of Tunisia

• Her Excellency Fatimata Dia Sow, Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender of ECOWAS

• His Excellency Ty Sokhun, Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia

• His Excellency Ali Recep Nazli, General Director of Foreign Relations and EU Coordination of Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey

• Haowa Bello, CEO and Founder of Madame Coquette - Beneficiary of the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme

• Jessica Vega Ortega, Coordinator of the Yani Tundavii Dikuintií Collective of the Network of Young Indigenous Peoples of Latin America, Focal Point for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus

Questions and answers

Concluding remarks

The latest issue of the Crop Prospect and Food Situation quarterly report, which focuses on developments affecting the food situation of developing countries and low-income food-deficit countries, has been released. The report also includes an overview of global cereal production prospects and a table highlighting countries that require external assistance for food, identifying the primary causes of the local food crises.

Highlights of the report:

• Countries in need of external assistance: FAO estimates that 37 countries are in need of external assistance for food. Civil conflict continues to be a main driver of severe food insecurity, triggering famine in South Sudan and putting populations at high risk of localized famine in Yemen and northern Nigeria. Weather shocks have also impinged on food availability and access, and have in particular compounded the fragile situation in Somalia where famine conditions continue to be a threat.
• Africa: Severe food insecurity persists in northern Nigeria and Somalia, while South Sudan remains in the grip of famine. Dry conditions lowered 2017 production prospects in parts of East Africa, while outputs in Southern Africa are forecast to rebound strongly.
• Asia: Drought in Sri Lanka resulted in a sharp drop in the 2017 paddy output, while recent floods caused extensive damage. Conflicts continue to intensely impact agriculture and food security in Iraq and in the Syrian Arab Republic, while in Yemen localized famine remains a critical risk.
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Record cereal outputs forecast in Argentina and Brazil in 2017, with production prospects generally favourable in Central American countries, although the possibility of an El Niño developing raises some concern.

The report can be accessed through the following link:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7402e.pdf.

The latest issue of the FPMA Bulletin FAO/GIEWS monthly report on food price trends at world, regional and country level with a focus on countries where prices of one or more basic food commodity are at abnormal high levels in main markets.

Main highlights of this issue are the general decline of wheat and maize prices in the international market; while at sub-regional level, the further increase in cereal prices in East Africa and in the Southern Hemisphere countries the downward pressure on maize prices exerted by overall favourable production prospects in 2017

Key Messages

• Wheat prices generally declined in April, on account of ample supplies and generally favourable outlook for the 2017 harvest. Export prices of maize remained under downward pressure, mainly reflecting expectations of bumper crops in Southern Hemisphere countries. By contrast, international rice prices increased, supported by a rebound in trade activity, especially due to accelerated sales to countries of the Near East.
• In East Africa, cereal prices rose further in April and reached record or near‑record levels in most countries. Prices were underpinned by tight supplies, following drought-reduced 2016 second season outputs, and uncertain prospects for the upcoming 2017 harvests due to drier‑than‑average conditions and armyworm infestation affecting key‑growing areas.
• In Southern Hemisphere countries, favourable maize production prospects kept domestic prices under downward pressure in April and below their year-earlier levels. In Brazil, where a bumper first season crop is being harvested, maize prices declined sharply in April and averaged some 40 percent lower than a year earlier. In South Africa, expectations of a near‑record output pushed down white maize prices for the fourth consecutive month to less than half their year-earlier levels.

The report can be accessed through the following link:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7230e.pdf.