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The June edition of the FAO Monthly News Report on Grains was released today. The report covers ongoing global and regional trends in grain prices and policies. This month's edition covers global grain stocks at a 15 year high, the potential impact of changing weather patterns on wheat production, and Brazil's proposed tariff-free wheat import quota.

The FAO Food Price Index for May was released yesterday and is down 2.5 points from April, and nearly 7 points from May 2013. This is the second decline in a row, following the ten-month high reached in March. The decline is driven mostly by lower dairy, cereals, and vegetable oils prices.

The May edition of the FAO Monthly News Report on Grains was released last week. The report covers ongoing global and regional trends in grain prices and policies. This month's edition covers above-average US wheat sales, increased wheat production expectations in India, and the impact that El Nino could have on crops.

The FAO Monthly News Report on Grains series provides a collection of news articles from international media and news sources on issues relating to the international grain economy. These reports also include statistics and upcoming events.

So-called "food riots" have gotten a lot of attention in recent years, but what role do food and food prices actually play in violent demonstrations and conflicts? The May issue of the World Bank Food Price Watch finds that the relationship between food and violence takes several forms, involving not only food prices but also food supplies and competition over agricultural and infrastructure resources.

Food prices spiked in March, according to the latest FAO Food Price Index, released this week. The Index rose 4.8 points from February and is at its highest level since May 2013. The increase is due largely to poor weather and continuing unrest in the Black Sea region. Cereal and sugar prices gained the most this month.