FAO’s latest forecasts point to somewhat easing of market conditions for basic foodstuffs. However, increased climate variability, conflicts and geopolitical tensions, bleak economic prospects, soaring agricultural input costs and export restrictions continue to pose challenges to global food commodity market stability.

Issued twice a year, the November issue of the Food Outlook offers market summaries of FAO’s reviews of market supply and demand trends for the world’s major foodstuffs, namely cereals, oilcrops, sugar, meat, dairy, and fish. It also looks at trends in food import bills, agricultural input import bills, Ocean freight rates and FAO food price indices. The Markets and Trade Division of FAO, as part of the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), produces and publishes the Food Outlook to enhance transparency in global food markets. Concerning global cereal markets, the Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with the quarterly GIEWS publication Crop Prospects and Food Situation.