The Meat Market Review aims to provide analyses of recent market and policy developments and information to improve market transparency and support the FAO strategic framework under the four betters, specifically better nutrition. The December issue of the publication identifies emerging market developments and prospects for production and trade in global meat markets in 2023. The review finds that world meat production will likely expand in 2023, reflecting an increased...

This technical brief explores the challenges and opportunities confronting the tropical fruit sector in meeting European Union (EU) regulations on maximum residue levels (MRLs) and pesticide use. The EU's Farm to Fork Strategy aims to cut chemical pesticide use by half by 2030. Within this context, producers targeting the EU market are confronted with the dilemma of reducing pesticide use while tackling climate change-induced pest challenges. The brief gives examples...

This report provides a concise evaluation of the latest trends and developments in the global trade of durians, a tropical fruit that has been gaining popularity. It offers insights into the current state of the market, including factors influencing supply and demand, trade patterns, and potential opportunities and challenges. This analysis is part of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) ongoing efforts to monitor and understand global tropical fruit markets,...

Cocoa is a key sector of Ghana’s economy, contributing about 2 percent of GDP as well as providing a livelihood, or part thereof, for about 30 percent of the population. This study, based on stakeholder answers to detailed questionnaires and conducted from October 2021 to April 2022, aims to identify and evaluate risks as well as major bottlenecks, threatening and constraining the cocoa supply chain and limiting its resilience. The...

The Monthly Price Update is an information product provided by the oilseeds desk of the Markets and Trade Division of FAO. It reviews the development of international prices for oilseeds, oils and meals as reflected by FAO’s price indices.

International cereal prices mostly declined in October 2023. Wheat prices decreased, influenced by low and falling prices from the Russian Federation. International rice prices dropped by 2 percent month‑on‑month in October, affected by generally passive global import demand. By contrast, those of coarse grains firmed as price increases in Argentina outweighed the lower prices in Brazil. In most countries monitored by FAO, domestic staple food prices were in October 2023 at higher...

FAO's latest forecasts point to favourable production outlooks across most basic foodstuffs. However, global food production systems remain vulnerable to shocks, stemming from extreme weather events, and rising geopolitical tensions and policies, potentially tipping the delicate demand-supply balances, dampening prospects for international trade in food commodities and with implications for global food security.

The cereal supply and demand balances included in this report present a subset of data from the FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) database created and continuously kept up to date by the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) and Basic Foodstuffs teams of the Markets and Trade Division, with data since 1980. It contains annual supply and utilization balances for the main cereals produced...

FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia, two in Latin America and the Caribbean and one in Europe, are in need of external assistance for food. Although drought conditions eased in East Africa, production prospects remain unfavourable in 2023, while conflicts in several parts of the African continent are aggravating food security concerns. At the global level, El Niño poses a risk to agricultural...