The latest FAO Food Price Index was released on January 9, citing a slight drop from December. At 203.4 points, the Index was 4.4 percent lower than its January 2013 level.

The Cereal Price Index also dropped by 3 points in January, down a full 56 points from its January 2013 level. This decline can be attributed largely to bumper cereal crops and subsequent large export supplies, which helped reduce prices from the highs seen in 2012 and 2013.

The latest FEWS Net Monthly Price Watch was released this week, citing stable international maize, rice, and wheat prices in December. Maize prices were over 30 percent lower than their December 2012 levels; global maize stocks are expected to hit their highest levels in over a decade due to near-harvest records in the United States, high stocks in South America, and decreasing overall use estimates. World soybean and palm oil production are also expected to reach record levels in 2013-2014. Soybean prices in December were below their 2012 levels.

The latest FAO Food Price Index was released yesterday, remaining virtually unchanged from October at 206.3 points. The Index is 4.4 percent below its November 2012 level.

The Cereals Index dropped two points in November, and is a full 24 percent lower than it was in November 2012. This year's record cereals crop is the main driver of this reduction in cereals prices, particularly for wheat, maize, and rice.

Since 1998, the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) , coordinated by the Center for Global Trade Analysis at Purdue University, has organized an annual conference to promote the exchange of ideas among economists conducting quantitative analysis of global economic issues. In June 2014, the 17th Annual Conference will be co-organized by AGRODEP and held in Dakar, Senegal.

Global food prices have declined by 6 percent over the last quarter, according to the latest World Bank Food Price Watch. However, the report warns that prices are still not that far from their historical peak, at only 16 percent below the all-time high reached in August 2012.

Global food prices are becoming less volatile compared to recent years, according to a new FAO report. The November 2013 Food Outlook credits the more balanced markets to the recovery of global cereal inventories. 2013 has seen a significant increase in cereal production, largely based on increased maize crops in the US and record wheat crops in CIS countries.

Highlights for other crops include:

The FAO Food Price Index , released today, rose slightly in October to 205.8 points. While this is about 1.3 percent higher than in September, it is still 5.3 percent below its October 2012 levels. This small increase was driven mainly by rising sugar prices.

October 16 is World Food Day.

About one in eight people worldwide suffered from chronic hunger during the past two years, according to the United Nations. Though daunting, that ratio is an improvement over previous years. In fact, the 2013 Global Hunger Index report released Monday shows that global hunger levels have declined by nearly 35 percent since 1990.

FAO recently released its 2013 State of Food Security in the World report. This annual report looks at the number and location of people suffering from chronic hunger around the globe, and provides analysis of how different policies can be used to target different regions and populations.

The latest FAO Food Price Index, released Thursday, continued to fall in September, down 2.3 points below August and a full 11 points from the beginning of the year. This marks the fifth consecutive decrease.

The Cereals Price Index dropped 12.9 points from August and as much as 65 points from September 2012. The decline reflects a favorable supply outlook, particularly for maize and rice. The Oils/Fats Price Index remained unchanged from August. The Dairy, Meat, and Sugar Indices all rose slightly in September.