FAO's Markets and Trade Division (EST), with its expertise on world agricultural trade, provides analytical and policy information to the United Nations (UN) community, global stakeholders, and beyond. EST keeps a comprehensive market intelligence service of the main agricultural commodities, and houses the Secretariats of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP), the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups (IGGs), and the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). EST also manages early warnings of food shortfalls.
Global commodity markets
monitors major agricultural commodities, including basic foodstuffs, tropical products and raw materials.
Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS)
is the leading source of information on world food production and food security, and it monitors world supply of and demand for basic food.
Trade policy & partnerships
promotes transparent, efficient agricultural commodity markets and trade by supporting its members, including facilitating multistakeholder partnerships.
Emerging trends, challenges and opportunities
produces multidisciplinary analyses related to agricultural trade and markets, and guidance for responsible value chains.
Featured publications
 | The State of Agricultural Commodity MarketsThe State of Agricultural Commodity Markets presents commodity market issues in an objective and accessible way to policy-makers, commodity market observers and stakeholders interested in agricultural commodity market developments and their impacts on countries at different levels of economic development. |
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Food Outlook - Biannual Report on Global Food MarketsThe Food Outlook is a biannual publication, focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. It provides comprehensive assessments and short-term forecasts for production, utilization, trade, stocks and prices on a commodity-by-commodity basis, along with feature articles on topical issues. |
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OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook
The Agricultural Outlook 2024-2033 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It brings together the commodity,
policy and country expertise of both organisations as well as input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of the prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity
markets.
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 | Crop Prospects and Food Situation FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia, two in Latin America and the Caribbean and one in Europe, are in need of external assistance for food. Although drought conditions eased in East Africa, production prospects remain unfavourable in 2023, while conflicts in several parts of the African continent are aggravating food security concerns. |
Latest publications
Book (series)
The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2024 - Trade and nutrition: policy coherence for healthy diets
29/11/2024
The 2024 edition of The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO 2024) explores complex linkages between food trade and nutrition and generates...
Journal; magazine; bulletin
Meat Market Review. Emerging trends and outlook in 2024
27/11/2024
The review finds that global meat production is forecast to increase moderately in 2024, driven by higher slaughter rates and favourable profit margins....
Journal; magazine; bulletin
Oilseeds, Oils and Meals. Monthly price update No. 184, November 2024
25/11/2024
The Monthly Price Update is an information product provided by the oilseeds desk of the Markets and Trade Division of FAO. It reviews the development...
Book (series)
Special Report – 2024 FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to the Lebanese Republic - November 2024
19/11/2024
At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), a joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited the country from 15 to...
Book (stand-alone)
Monitoring, evaluation and learning in the tropical fruit sector to generate evidence for sustainability and resilience
18/11/2024
This training guide on measuring monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) was developed to help stakeholders in tropical fruit value chains to generate...
Book (series)
Food Outlook – Biannual Report on Global Food Markets - November 2024
14/11/2024
FAO’s latest assessments indicate differing trajectories across different commodities, with wheat, maize, and sugar production set to decline, while...
Booklet
Measuring carbon and water footprints in pineapple value chains - A training guide
14/11/2024
This training guide is part of a set of learning materials on measuring carbon and water footprints that was developed to help stakeholders in the pineapple...
Journal; magazine; bulletin
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin #9, 13 November 2024 - Monthly report on food price trends
13/11/2024
Global wheat and maize prices continued to increase in October 2024, influenced by unfavourable weather concerns in some main producing areas, transport...
Journal; magazine; bulletin
Crop Prospects and Food Situation No. 3, November 2024
08/11/2024
The triannual Crop Prospects and Food Situation report provides a forward-looking global analysis of cereal production, market trends and food security...
Book (stand-alone)
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries
08/11/2024
The cereal supply and demand balances included in this report present a subset of data from the FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) database...
Special committees
Podcasts
SOFI 2024 - Maximo Torero on the latest hunger data
14/10/2024
Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report. Tune in to the FAO Talks podcast with FAO’s Chief Economist Máximo Torero to explore the causes of global hunger.
FAO Brief - 14 October 2024
14/10/2024
In this episode, FAO hosts the fourth edition of the World Food Forum, the largest annual gathering of agrifood systems stakeholders globally in Rome, Italy from 14 to 18 October ; rises in September with quotations up for all covered commodity groups, led by sugar.
Videos
Honouring women around the world, from crop to cup
23/05/2024
Tea is more than a commodity, it’s a culture, a way of life. A universal symbol of comfort and good health. Much more than a beverage, tea generates employment and income worldwide, enriching the livelihoods of millions of people, empowering whole communities to thrive over generations, and providing stability in an ever-changing world.
The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2022 (SOCO)
28/06/2022
This edition of The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) discusses how trade policies, based on both multilateral and regional approaches, can address today’s challenges for sustainable development.
Online database applications
Commodity policy development tool
Commodity markets
FPMA
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis
AMIS
Agricultural Market Information System
SAVE THE DATE | Launch of The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2024 - Hybrid Event, Friday, 29 November 2024 from 12:00-13:20 hours (CET)
Trade is an integral part of our agrifood systems. It fulfils the fundamental role of moving food from surplus to deficit regions, thus contributing...
Upcoming events
Virtual Event
Release of Food Outlook November 2024
14/11/2024
Food Outlook is a biannual publication focusing on developments in global food and feed markets, published by the Markets and Trade Division of FAO...
Latest news
Cocoa, coffee and tea push up global food import bill for wealthier countries
14/11/2024
Related websites
- World Food Situation
- FAO Food Price Index
- FAO Price Data and Analysis
- FAO Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in Agriculture
- FAO Trade
- FAO Policy Portal
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