Results
Briefs
2020
Europe and Central Asia: Regional food market situation and policy bulletin in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
According to the FAO Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), cereal production in 2019 and the estimated closing stock in 2019/20 are both near record highs and supplies in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and around the world are estimated to be sufficient. As a result, global cereal markets are expected to remain balanced and comfortable despite worries over the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, localized disruptions, largely due to logistical issues, have caused some snarls in food distribution systems and food supply chains in some domestic markets. Though the anticipated duration and magnitude of these disruptions are unlikely [...]
Briefs
2020
Strengthening financial services for roots and tubers value chains development in Africa. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Policy Brief 24
Notwithstanding an increasing demand for their derived products, roots and tubers (R&T) value chains in Africa remain loose, fragmented and informal, and many market opportunities remain unexploited. Some encouraging new investment initiatives in R&T value chains have recently been documented, both by improving the competitiveness of small actors of the value chains, and by building the capacity of financial services providers to design products and services that fit the specific needs of the mentioned actors. This policy brief provides recommendations for policymakers, including the development of incentives for investing in the sector, through the facilitation of the use of alternative [...]
Briefs
2020
Identifying and addressing the threats against food recovery and redistribution
Many communities and vulnerable individuals rely on foodbanks and other food recovery and redistribution charities to ensure they have access to enough food to build resilience in their communities, reduce food insecurity and contribute to healthier diets.
Quite often foodbanks are able to distribute processed foods with limited access to highly perishable fresh foods, resulting in nutrient deficiencies of beneficiaries who are dependent on these charitable organizations for their food needs.
Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is recommended that food banks, seek to source and offer, as far as possible, fresh fruits and vegetables and limit the quantities of calorie dense [...]
Briefs
2020
COVID-19 and smallholder producers’ access to markets
Smallholder producers’ access to markets is also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Immediate impacts tend to be more severe for high-value commodities (perishable products), which are often produced by smallholder farmers. Several countries are putting in place a variety of measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on smallholder producers. This brief builds on lessons learned in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic and during the 2007–2008 global food prices volatility crisis.
Briefs
2020
Food safety in the time of COVID-19
Specific information about the virus responsible for COVID-19 is and remains scant; however, the behaviour and characteristics of the virus can be predicted based on data from similar viruses such as those responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Despite the hypothesis that the virus may have originated in bats and infected another animal used for food, there is no evidence of continued transmission of the virus from animals to humans through the food chain. The application of sound principles of environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and established food safety practices will reduce the likelihood [...]
Issue paper
2020
Addressing the impacts of COVID-19 in food crises | April–December 2020
The document presents FAO's component of the COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Appeal, focusing on maintaining operations in food crisis contexts, anticipating the secondary impacts of the pandemic and related containment efforts on the world's most vulnerable people and sustaining critical food supply chains to avert future food crises.
Briefs
2020
Anticipating the impacts of COVID-19 in humanitarian and food crisis contexts
While the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating lives, public health systems, livelihoods and economies all over the world, populations living in food crisis contexts are particularly exposed to its effects.
Countries with existing humanitarian crises are particularly exposed to the effects of the pandemic, which is already directly affecting food systems through impacts on food supply and demand, and indirectly through decreases in purchasing power, the capacity to produce and distribute food, and the intensification of care tasks, all of which will have differentiated impacts and will more strongly affect the most vulnerable populations. The effects could be even stronger in countries [...]
Briefs
2020
Ample supplies to help shield food markets from the COVID-19 crisis
Global cereal markets are expected to remain balanced and comfortable despite worries over the impacts of COVID-19. While localized disruptions, largely due to logistical issues, pose challenges to food supply chains in some markets, their anticipated duration and magnitude are unlikely to have a significant effect on global food markets.
Briefs
2020
Agri-food markets and trade policy in the time of COVID-19
The policy brief highlights that policy measures should aim to address actual rather than perceived demand and supply disruptions, and that enhanced market transparency, and coordination with trading partners is critical in this regard. It is noted that experiences from past crises have demonstrated that avoiding certain trade-restrictive measures can be equally important to more direct forms of supporting consumers and producers. In this context, following international guidelines on safe travel and trade corridors can help keep agri-food supply chains functional, mitigate food supply disruptions, and promote food security.
Data and statistics
2020
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool
The Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool was developed in the wake of the international food price crisis of 2007 and 2008 for dissemination and analysis of domestic and international commodity price data collated by Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). The FPMA Tool provides easy access to data allowing users to quickly browse and analyse trends, serving as a basis for GIEWS analysis, including the FPMA monthly report and website. GIEWS maintains a global version of the tool, which, as of May 2024, included about 2,000 series of consumer food prices in over 120 countries and over [...]