Markets and Trade

25/08/2022

This quarterly bulletin features agricultural trade policy changes in the region. It provides current trade measures, agreements, statistics and articles by experts covering trade-related issues in countries across the region, and it is sent to members of the Agricultural Trade Expert Network.

01/08/2022

The Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 12 to 17 June 2022. Following the conclusion of the meeting, this brief reports on its outcome, with particular reference to the negotiations on agriculture and fisheries.

29/07/2022

The July issue of the publication summarizes the salient trends and drivers of market developments and significant public policy changes in 2021. The review finds that the international dairy prices rose steeply in 2021, driven by tight global supplies and sustained demand. Additionally, world milk output expanded in 2021, albeit growing at the slowest rate seen since 2013 and global export trade expanded moderately, caused by tight supplies and high prices.

18/07/2022

The July issue of the publication summarizes the salient trends and drivers of market developments and significant public policy changes in 2021. The review finds that the international meat prices increased sharply in 2021 amid tight global supplies from leading exporters. Moreover, world meat output expanded, principally driven by increased pig meat output and global meat trade expanded in 2021, albeit at a slower pace than in the previous five years.

12/07/2022

International wheat and maize prices decreased in June, reflecting seasonally increased availabilities of wheat in Northern Hemisphere exporters and of maize in Southern Hemisphere exporters. By contrast, strong demand for “Indica” and ”Basmati” rice, coupled with thinning ”Basmati” availabilities, kept international rice prices on the rise in June. Based on latest available data, FAO analysis indicates that the number of countries facing abnormally elevated levels of food prices remained high in June. While reduced domestic supplies, national macroeconomic difficulties and/or localized insecurity remain the underlying drivers of the high prices in many cases, the disruptive impact of the war in Ukraine on international food, fuel and fertilizer markets remains a major cause especially for countries highly dependent on imported wheat and coarse grains.

08/07/2022

This statistical report contains a subset of CCBS data and presents updated cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries. It complements the information of the FAO/GIEWS Crop Prospects and Food Situation report and is published four times a year with the same schedule. This report is based on information available as of June 2022.

08/07/2022

FAO assesses that globally 46 countries, including 33 in Africa, 10 in Asia, two in Latin America and the Caribbean, and one in Europe, are in need of external assistance for food. This list now includes Ukraine and Sri Lanka. Serious concerns also relate to East Africa due to multiple seasons of drought conditions, with a looming risk of famine in some areas.

29/06/2022

The Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations as well as input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of the prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity markets.

28/06/2022

The In Brief version of the FAO flagship publication, The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2022, contains the key messages and main points from the publication and is aimed at the media, policy makers and a more general public.

28/06/2022

This edition of The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) discusses how trade policies, based on both multilateral and regional approaches, can address today’s challenges for sustainable development. Trade policies in food and agriculture should aim to safeguard global food security, address the trade-offs between economic and environmental objectives, and strengthen the resilience of the global agrifood system to shocks, such as conflicts, pandemics and extreme weather.

15/06/2022

International wheat prices increased in May in response to India’s announcement of a wheat export ban, amid global supply concerns fuelled by reduced 2022 production prospects as well as disruptions to shipments due to the war in Ukraine. By contrast, international prices of coarse grains eased, as maize harvests in Argentina and Brazil, along with slightly improved crop conditions in the United States of America, alleviated the pressure on markets. Rice prices increased for the fifth successive month in May, amid generally upbeat demand. Based on latest available data, FAO analysis indicates that the number of countries across the globe facing exceptionally high levels of food prices increased sharply in May. Many cases, while originating from reduced domestic supplies, national macroeconomic difficulties and/or localized insecurity, are being exacerbated by the impact of the war in Ukraine on international food, fuel and fertilizer markets.

14/06/2022

This quarterly bulletin features agricultural trade policy changes in the region. It provides current trade measures, agreements, statistics and articles by experts covering trade-related issues in countries across the region, and it is sent to members of the Agricultural Trade Expert Network.

13/06/2022

The Russian Federation and Ukraine are among the most important producers of agricultural commodities in theworld. Both countries are net exporters of agricultural products and are leading suppliers of foodstuffs andfertilizers to global markets, where exportable supplies are often concentrated in a handful of countries. The high concentrations could increase the vulnerability of these markets to shocks and volatility.

10/06/2022

FAO’s Responsible Business Conduct Quarterly Bulletin (RBC-Q) shares events and resources on FAO’s activities on Responsible Global Value Chains and news from around the world related to business, risk and development in the agricultural sector. It is prepared by FAO’s Markets and Trade Division (EST). This issue of the bulletin covers the period April-June 2022, with selected items from January-March 2022.

09/06/2022

The annual FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) was conducted from 7 to 17 December 2021 to estimate the cereal production in South Sudan during 2021 and assess the overall food security situation in the country. The CFSAM reviewed the findings of several crop assessment missions conducted at planting and harvest time from June to December 2021 in different agroecological zones of the country. All missions were carried out by an agricultural task force team that comprised staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MoAFS), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the respective State Ministry of Agriculture (SMoA), abiding to health protocols for the protection from the COVID-19 pandemic. Task force team members have been trained during the past years to conduct rapid assessments using established CFSAM instruments, protocols and techniques, including walking transects, scoring standing crops according to the pictorial evaluation tool (PET), yield levels and livestock body condition, performing key informant interviews and farmer case studies.

06/06/2022

The document provides the results of a joint FAO-WFP early warning analysis of acute food insecurity hotspots, highlights countries that are at risk of significant food security deterioration, and in particular acute hunger and associated malnutrition. The analysis takes into account all major drivers of food insecurity. It provides a forward-looking perspective, outlining the likely evolution of impacts over the next three or so months aiming to inform urgent action to safeguard food security of the most vulnerable communities in these locations.

19/05/2022

In many developing countries, the tea sector contributes significantly to rural development, poverty reduction and food security, representing, in several cases, a major source of income and employment for millions of poor families. The global tea production amounts annually to over USD 17 billion, while world tea trade is valued at about USD 9.5 billion, accounting for an important source of export earnings.

17/05/2022

Following an official request by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan on 4 May 2021, FAO and WFP carried out an abridged approach to the Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to the country. After thorough planning and preparation, the two agencies assessed the 2021 food crop production, estimated the food import requirements for the 2021/22 marketing year and analysed the 2021 food security situation at household level. The mission’s core team was composed of FAO and WFP staff members with support from a contracted service provider for conducting key informant interviews, community interaction and a telephone interview-based household survey.