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. Trade policies in food and agriculture should aim to safeguard global food security, address the trade-offs between economic and environmental objectives, and strengthen the resilience of the global agrifood system to shocks, such as conflicts, pandemics and extreme weather.

The In Brief version of the FAO flagship publication, The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2022, contains the key messages and main points from the publication and is aimed at the media, policy makers and a more general public.

International wheat prices increased in May in response to India’s announcement of a wheat export ban, amid global supply concerns fuelled by reduced 2022 production prospects as well as disruptions to shipments due to the war in Ukraine. By contrast, international prices of coarse grains eased, as maize harvests in Argentina and Brazil, along with slightly improved crop conditions in the United States of America, alleviated the pressure on markets....

The Russian Federation and Ukraine are among the most important producers of agricultural commodities in theworld. Both countries are net exporters of agricultural products and are leading suppliers of foodstuffs andfertilizers to global markets, where exportable supplies are often concentrated in a handful of countries. The high concentrations could increase the vulnerability of these markets to shocks and volatility.

FAO’s Responsible Business Conduct Quarterly Bulletin (RBC-Q) shares events and resources on FAO’s activities on Responsible Global Value Chains and news from around the world related to business, risk and development in the agricultural sector. It is prepared by FAO’s Markets and Trade Division (EST). This issue of the bulletin covers the period April-June 2022, with selected items from January-March 2022.

In view of the soaring input prices,concerns about the weather, and increased market uncertainties stemming from the war in Ukraine, FAO’s latest forecasts point to a likely tightening of food markets in 2022. Meanwhile, the global food import bill is on course to hit a new record high of USD 1.8 trillion, an all-time high, almost entirely on account of higher prices. Issued twice a year, Food Outlook offers...

The annual FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) was conducted from 7 to 17 December 2021 to estimate the cereal production in South Sudan during 2021 and assess the overall food security situation in the country. The CFSAM reviewed the findings of several crop assessment missions conducted at planting and harvest time from June to December 2021 in different agroecological zones of the country. All missions were carried...

The document provides the results of a joint FAO-WFP early warning analysis of acute food insecurity hotspots, highlights countries that are at risk of significant food security deterioration, and in particular acute hunger and associated malnutrition. The analysis takes into account all major drivers of food insecurity. It provides a forward-looking perspective, outlining the likely evolution of impacts over the next three or so months aiming to inform urgent action...