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GIEWS has released a special alert for the Syrian Arab Republic, citing continued civil unrest that is threatening food security in the country, particularly for vulnerable groups. According to the World Food Programme, approximately 1.4 million people have become food insecure since the start of the civil unrest. The outlook for the 2012 winter cereal crops could suffer due to disruptions in overall agricultural activities and limited access to fertilizer and seeds.

FEWS NET has released an updated forecast analysis for the Horn of Africa, citing the likelihood of poor rainfall in the coming months. In the most likely scenario, rainfall in March-May will be ten percent below average. While a ten percent reduction in rainfall would not have substantial negative impacts on crop production, humanitarian agencies are urged to prepare contingency plans to address possible disruptions to food access.

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FAO has released the latest global Food Price Index, citing a 1% increase in food prices in February. Despite this increase, the Food Price Index for February remains 10% below its peak in February 2011.

The African Growth and Development Policy (AGRODEP) Modeling Consortium released its first edition of the AGRODEP Bulletin , a publication providing insights into major economic development issues in Africa. The Bulletin introduces research and capacity building activities undertaken by AGRODEP and announces publication of new economic data and statistics on Africa. Read more .

AGRODEP (African Growth and Development Policy Modeling Consortium) has now launched its third round of membership application. Qualified economists from Africa are eligible; membership provides free access to cutting-edge economic research tools, resources, and training that may otherwise be unavailable to researchers in the region.