World sugar has experienced a number of trade and policy changes. Their impact on the sugar sector and stakeholders in developing countries has yet to be fully understood. For developing countries such as Ethiopia and the United Republic of Tanzania, which have the potential to expand sugar production and exports, understanding the impact of current and prospective trends in the world sugar market on the income and wages of smallholders...

Food safety standards are gaining importance as trade regulations. These regulations affect exports in three main ways depending on the capacities of exporting countries: trade-impeding effects, neutral effects, and catalyst effects. Although previous studies confirm the trade impeding effect of regulations, recent studies show that strict regulations can stimulate developing countries through the scale effect as in the case of some African exporters. In addition, developing countries can benefit from...

This report is part of an initiative by the Trade and Markets Division of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to analyse patterns of smallholder market participation. It was prepared by El Mamoun Amrouk, in collaboration with Nigel Poole, Nicholas Mudungwe, and Everjoyce Muzvondiwa. Jamie Morrison provided guidance and input for the methodological framework, as well as comments on the initial drafts. Thanks to Grace Musarurwa for the input to the...

Firmer production estimates for 2012 confirm tightening wheat and maize supplies while the outlook for rice remains positive. In spite of a contraction in overall cereal utilization in 2012/13, the world cereal stock-to-use ratio is projected to decline by 2 percentage points from the previous season. International prices of all major cereals, except rice, remain well above last year. For wheat and maize, while prices have stabilized in recent weeks,...

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited DPRK, at the request of the Government, from 24 September to 8 October 2012 to assess the 2012 main crop harvest, forecast the 2013 production of winter and spring crops, estimate cereal import requirements for the 2012/13 marketing year (November/October), assess the household food-security situation and estimate food assistance needs.

The FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) is a database of annual supply and utilization balances for main cereals, covering all countries of the world. It has been maintained by FAO/GIEWS since 1980 and is updated on a continual basis. This statistical report, which is a subset of CCBS data, presents the current-year cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements...

The Global food price monitor was issued by GIEWS from 2010 until the end of 2014, reporting on food price developments at world, regional and country level with focus on developing countries. From January 2015 this report was replaced by the Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin.

Food prices have averaged 8 percent lower during the first ten months of 2012 compared to the same period last year. Considerably lower international prices and freights, together with less cereal purchases are predicted to reduce global expenditures on imported foodstuffs. The 2012 forecast for global food import bills is set at USD 1.14 trillion, 10 percent lower than the record which was set last year.

Latest indications confirm a decline in world cereal production in 2012 from the record in 2011. The decrease will result in a significant reduction in world inventories by the close of seasons in 2013, even with world demand sliding as a result of high prices. International cereal prices remained firm in September, with average wheat and rice quotations increasing slightly, but those of maize declining. Although the volume of aggregate...

The FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) is a database of annual supply and utilization balances for main cereals, covering all countries of the world. It has been maintained by FAO/GIEWS since 1980 and is updated on a continual basis. This statistical report, which is a subset of CCBS data, presents the current-year cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements...