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Climate-Smart Agriculture in South Asia and SSA: Unlocking Triple-Win Potential

Nov 22nd, 2023 • by S. Gustafson

South Asia and Africa south of the Sahara face significant and burgeoning threats to food security and economic well-being as a result of climate change. These challenges are further complicated by rapid population growth in both regions, leading to both an increased demand for food and increased environmental strains and the potential for unsustainable agricultural practices to boost production. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) may be a feasible a solution to these challenges, if implemented appropriately and with local contexts in mind.

How Much Is Lost When Disaster Strikes? New FAO Report Looks at Impact on Agricultural Production, Food Security

Oct 29th, 2023 • by S. Gustafson

Nearly US$ 4 trillion: That is the amount of global crop and livestock production the FAO estimates has been lost over the past three decades due to disaster events. According to the new report, “The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security,” this equates to an average loss of US$123 billion per year and as much as 5 percent of annual global agricultural GDP.

Food Price Index Declined in August, While Rice Prices Spiked

Sep 9th, 2023 • by S. Gustafson

The FAO Food Price Index fell by around 2 percent in August, driven by declines in cereal, vegetable oil, dairy, and meat indices. This decline placed the Index 24 percent below the peak seen in March 2022. The major exception was rice prices, which saw a significant increase in August.

IFPRI Policy seminar: Farm subsidies and international trade rules

Jul 2nd, 2023 • by CHARLOTTE HEBEBRAND AND JOSEPH GLAUBER

The Uruguay Round of international trade negotiations, which started in 1986 and concluded in 1994, advanced trade liberalization and led to the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) stands out as a hallmark, since it brought agriculture—until then mostly not covered by international trade disciplines—into a rules-based framework.

When Policy Responses Make Things Worse: The Case of Export Restrictions for Agricultural Products

Jun 30th, 2023 • by Abdullah Mamun and David Laborde

When the global prices of staple commodities surge, some governments react immediately by imposing trade-restricting measures in order to insulate domestic prices from rising world prices. During the global food price crisis of 2007–2008, such behavior was observed among many governments, particularly in net food-exporting countries, in response to the impending food security shock. As many as 16 countries imposed some form of export restriction, such as a ban or export tax, on commodities including rice, wheat, maize, other grains, and vegetable oils.