What's New

Conditions are favorable for wheat, maize and soybeans in the northern hemisphere according to this month's AMIS Market Monitor, while conditions for rice are mixed depending on the country.

The AMIS Market Monitor provides a synopsis of major developments in international commodity markets, focusing on wheat, maize, rice and soybeans. It represents the collective assessment of the ten international organizations that form the AMIS Secretariat concerning the international market situation and outlook.

BY: Joseph Glauber, IFPRI

Although we have successfully reached the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger at the global level, an estimated 795 million people continue to suffer from hunger while two billion suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Making our food systems more nutritious, resilient, and inclusive can significantly improve the lives of millions of people living in poverty around the world.

In a report to the G20 Development Working Group released in September of last year, FAO and the OECD (with inputs from the Asian Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IFPRI, and WTO) discussed the vital role that food security plays in the G20’s overall growth agenda. Food insecurity and malnutrition come with a high economic cost, reducing countries’ human capital and decreasing productivity and opportunities for growth.

The June edition of the FAO Monthly News Report on Grains was released yesterday, with coverage of the biggest weekly rally in wheat and corn prices in three years, the signing of a free trade agreement between China and Australia, and more .

This issue's linked reports include Climate Change and Food Systems: Global assessments and implications for food security and trade and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Possible impact on agricultural production during the second half of 2015 .