This brief explains and explores the rationale and options for strengthening disciplines on export restrictions.

International prices of wheat increased in September mostly because of weather-related concerns, while maize quotations fell further on crop harvest pressure. International rice prices remained generally firm, supported by seasonally tight availabilities of fragrant rice and strong demand for higher quality Indica supplies. In East Africa, prices of cereals remained at levels above those of a year earlier in most countries, particularly in Ethiopia reflecting seasonal tightness amid concerns over...

Severe floods in 2017 have affected at least 8 million people, causing deaths and injuries, loss of livestock and food supplies, and damage to housing and infrastructure. The floods caused severe damage to the agriculture sector, including crop losses of the main food staple rice, with most of the damage concentrated in the northern districts. Prices of rice, the country’s main staple, reached record levels in September, mostly reflecting flood-induced...

Prevailing severe dry weather conditions since October 2016 affected rangelands and crops in southeastern Ethiopia, resulting in serious deterioration of food security conditions. A major area of concern is the Somali Region, where an estimated 2.3 million people require emergency livelihood and food assistance. The critical food security situation reflects a sharply-reduced availability of food, pasture and water, particularly in southern and southeastern pastoral districts. The incoming October-December rains are...

FAO estimates that 37 countries are in need of external assistance for food in the world. Persisting conflicts have continued to acutely affect agricultural production and food security conditions. Weather shocks, including floods, hurricanes and droughts, have compounded the fragile conditions in some of the conflict-affected countries and also resulted in production shortfalls, adversely impacting food availability and access in other countries.

Suite à une requête du Gouvernement de la République centrafricaine, une Mission FAO/SMIAR d’évaluation des récoltes et de la sécurité alimentaire s’est rendue dans le pays du 16 au 28 janvier 2017 avec pour but pour déterminer les niveaux de la production agricole et de l’offre alimentaire dans le pays. Outre le personnel international, ont pris part à la Mission des représentants du Ministère du développement rural, du Ministère de...

Short overview of the "Commodities and Development Report 2017: Commodity Markets, Economic Growth and Development" that analyses the effects of commodity dependence on human development.

This publication explains how international food safety standards are set through the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Food Standards Programme – the Codex Alimentarius Commission – and how these standards are applied in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement).Through the...

Trade in agricultural products has expanded almost threefold in value terms over the past decade and is expected to continue to increase over the coming years. As such, it will play an increasingly important role in influencing the extent and nature of food security. While agricultural trade can have important benefits for food security and nutrition, the challenge is to ensure that its expansion works for, and not against, the...

The document is based on the publication “Review of Agricultural Trade Policies in former Soviet Union countries 2015-16” available in Russian. The main economic and political factors influencing the patterns of agrifood trade in the region during 2014 generally continued to have an impact in 2015 and 2016. In particular, a further slowdown in economic growth was observed in all countries during 2015. In addition, the depreciation of all the...