At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and in collaboration with the appropriate Government agencies, an FAO assessment Mission visited Lebanon between 2 and 13 February 2020 to conduct an examination of the impact of the economic and financial crisis on the domestic agricultural sector. The Mission put forward recommendations for appropriate actions to be taken by the Government and the international community to minimize the negative impacts...

Digital technologies have a high potential to enable further development of the agricultural sector, significantly reshape food value chains (FVCs), and greatly contribute towards more productive, resilient and transparent food systems. This paper provides a non-technical overview of digital technologies that have a high potential to revolutionize the agriculture and food industry, and contribute towards inclusion of small farmers into FVCs. The particular focus is on digital platforms providing e-commerce...

With the global population approaching 8 billion, the role of agricultural value chains (VCs) is increasingly important in ensuring sustainable and equitable food production. However, in developing countries, market failures can prevent small farmers from fully participating in domestic and global value chains, and issues related to climate change create further challenges. Moreover, greening policies and actions, as well as concerns regarding nutritional outcomes, add complexity to providing nutritious high-quality...

FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 34 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through the loss of income and jobs related to containment measures, have severely aggravated global food security conditions, as well as increasing the number of people in need of assistance. Conflicts and weather shocks remained critical factors affecting the current high levels of severe food...

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. Since 1980, the FAO/GIEWS Team maintains and updates it continually. This statistical report contains a subset of CCBS data and presents updated cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries. It complements the information of the FAO/GIEWS Crop Prospects and Food Situation report...

The month of August saw a rise in all threeFAO price indices trailing the oilseed complex. The oilseeds index increased for a third consecutive month, rising by 0.6 points (or 0.6 percent) and marking the highest level since January 2020. The price indices for oilmeals and vegetable oils posted more significant gains of, respectively, 3.7 and 5.5 points (or 4.6 and 5.9 percent). While all three indices fared above their...

With trade recognized as a means of implementation under Agenda 2030, policy-makers will need to ensure that trade, and policies affecting trade and markets, are taken into consideration as part of their efforts to achieve SDG 2. The five targets that set out the level and ambition of SDG 2 (ending hunger; ending all forms of malnutrition; doubling the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers; ensuring sustainable food...

The cotton sector contributes significantly to the economies of a number of developing countries, as well as to the livelihoods of millions of rural smallholders worldwide. In 2019, world production of cotton was valued at about USD 46 billion, while global trade reached USD 15 billion. Moreover, the cotton industry employs an estimated 150 million people across 75 countries, making the cotton sector an important contributor to the achievements of...

The Major Tropical Fruits Market Review is issued on an annual basis to Members and Observers of the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits and offers an overview of recent developments in international trade in mangoes, pineapples, avocados, and papayas.

This policy brief provides an overview on the role of digital technologies in optimizing traceability in trade for animals and animal products. It highlights the ways in which digital technologies can the enhance performance for monitoring and controlling animal disease, managing food safety and fraud risks, complying with animal production and food standards, facilitating trade and raising consumer awareness.