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 October–December 2023.

In the Gaza Strip, the ongoing conflict has caused the collapse of local livelihood systems and displaced about 1.9 million people. Between December 2023 and February 2024, the entire population (about 2.2 million people) is estimated to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 [Crisis] and above), including 576 000 people in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). The risk of famine is very high, as the threshold for acute food...

The Tropical Fruits Market Review Preliminary Results is issued on an annual basis to Members and Observers of the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits, which is a subsidiary body of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP). This document provides preliminary estimates for the 2023 market situation for the following major tropical fruits: avocado, mango, papaya and pineapple. Statistical tables related to imports...

This note provides a brief overview of the environmental impacts of agriculture, discusses how agricultural policies affect the environment, and identifies policy responses to foster agricultural productivity while reducing the sector’s environmental footprint.

This policy note first examines global trends in the trade of food and agricultural products. Next, it shows how trade and well-functioning markets can address food security issues in each of its dimensions. It then offers solutions on how food security can be guaranteed in the event of trade disruptions and concludes with several recommendations.

This policy brief assesses whether domestic food markets in developing countries respond to changes in international prices and how fast. Price transmission – namely the extent to which changes in international food prices lead to changes in local food prices – is central to assessing the functioning of markets. The Law of One Price suggests that price transmission is complete, with the prices of a food product sold on competitive foreign...

Agriculture, fisheries and forestry are closely linked to the environment and depend on it for their long-term productivity and sustainability. However, if not properly managed, these three sectors can have a negative impact on the environment. Agricultural trade can also have an impact on the environment, and in recent years there has been a renewed focus on how to balance sustainable development and trade liberalization. Since the establishment of the World...

The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2002, is the first WTO agreement to focus on the environment and the first legally binding multilateral agreement on marine sustainability. It regulates the provision of fisheries subsidies and recognizes that certain types of subsidies can have a negative impact on the sustainability of marine natural resources. Fisheries management is essential to ensure effective compliance...

As a result of economic growth, technological advances and trade liberalization, the integration of the fisheries and aquaculture sector into international markets has brought many benefits. These include a more efficient allocation of resources, a wider choice of products for consumers, improved access to fish and seafood, and greater development opportunities, particularly for the most vulnerable countries and populations. The fisheries and aquaculture industry has grown in recent decades, making aquatic...

Food safety measures are essential to protect the health of consumers and to promote confidence in international markets. It is therefore crucial to ensure that food safety measures and controls are in place to protect public health while avoiding unnecessary costs and barriers to trade. To ensure that food reaches consumers safely while trade is facilitated, members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have adopted the Agreement on the Application of...