What's New

The FAO Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) has released a food security brief for North Africa, citing regional unrest and rising global commodities prices as the rationale for a WFP-led emergency food aid operation. The report discusses the production and import/export situation in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.

The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report provides monthly comprehensive forecasts of supply and demand for major U.S. and global crops, supplied by the USDA. Crops covered include wheat, coarse grains, rice, and oilseeds. This report can explain past and current global commodities trends, as well as predict trends for the coming year.

Download the March report below. For more information regarding the WASDE reports, visit http://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/

Files:

As the global population has become increasingly larger and more urbanized, and as incomes continue to rise, agricultural markets have changed drastically. The demand for high-value agricultural products and the emphasis placed on foreign trade means that poor rural farmers are often left out of the market. Smallholder farmers may not be able to compete with larger farmers who can provide consistent quantities of high-quality products.

The daily global news continues to be inundated with stories of rising food prices, and accompanying rises in poverty and hunger. Recent droughts in China have been added to the list of factors driving food prices, specifically commodity prices, up around the world. Policymakers are now faced with decisions regarding the appropriate response to these increases.

The Global Information and Early Warning System has released its Global Food Price Monitor for March 2011. Access the full report at FPMA Bulletin: Monthly Report on Food Price Trends. Volume 2011 (fao.org)