FAO’s latest forecasts point to increased production and higher stocks for several basic foodstuffs. However, global food production remains susceptible to shocks arising from weather conditions, geopolitical tensions, and policies. These factors could disrupt the delicate balance between supply and demand, impacting global food security. Issued twice a year, the June issue of the Food Outlook offers 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, Ocean freight rates, international food prices and futures markets. 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. Food Outlook is available in English. The summary section is available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Food markets will face many more months of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while most markets are braced for a major global economic downturn, the agri-food sector is likely to display more resilience to the crisis than other sectors. Food Outlook is published by the Trade and Markets Division of FAO under Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). It is a biannual publication focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. Each report provides comprehensive assessments and short term forecasts for production, utilization, trade, stocks and prices on a commodity by commodity basis and includes feature articles on topical issues. Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with another major GIEWS publication, Crop Prospects and Food Situation, especially with regard to the coverage of cereals. Food Outlook is available in English. The summary section is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Special features COVID-19: From a global health crisis to a global food crisis? Comparing the current crisis, the “Great Lockdown” with the last major crisis, the “Great Recession”, this feature article identifies differences and communalities across countries and commodities. It provides an informative benchmark on how to return market functioning to normality, even if contagion rates remain unchecked. Revisions to the FAO food price indices From July 2020, the FAO Food Price Index and Global Food Consumption Price Indices will be re-based to the period of 2014-16, with improvements made to both their price coverage and representativeness. This feature article describes the main revisions and how they affect the movements of the indices.

Food Outlook analyses trends and developments in the markets for cereals, the oilseeds complex, sugar, meat, dairy and fish products. The November edition also offers a detailed analysis of the cassava markets and the protracted decline in international coffee prices. An additional feature article analyses the recent conditions in the global markets for bananas and major tropical fruits, where world trade is foreseen to surge by 18 percent from last year. The outlook for global supplies of agricultural commodities in the 2018/19 marketing season remains broadly in line with earlier expectations. While the weather had some impact on crop prospects, the overall production at global level did not change significantly from the forecasts published in the July issue of Food Outlook. Beyond weather-induced revisions, the latest FAO revisions take into consideration the mounting uncertainties regarding trade policies, as well as the changes in exchange rates and rising energy prices.

According to the latest issue of this biannual outlook, food commodity markets remain well supplied. The cost of importing food is expected to rise by 6 percent compared to last year’s, due to a sharp increase in freight rates, stronger import demand and firmer prices for most food commodities. This would bring the global food import bill to the second highest level on record.

The Agricultural Outlook 2021-2030 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations as well as input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of the prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity markets. The publication consists of 11 Chapters; Chapter 1 covers agricultural and food markets; Chapter 2 provides regional outlooks and the remaining chapters are dedicated to individual commodities.

This book provides comprehensive information on several dimensions of blue revolution in a structured form. Material provided in the book has been gathered from several relevant published sources and views expressed are based on practical field experience of the authors. Blue revolution would be one of the big game changers for the Indian economy. The subject of sustainable development of fisheries sector being very vast, concerted efforts have been made to accommodate all the relevant elements. Very little reading material with proper analysis is currently available and this book is expected to bridge the gap and project way-forward to achieve sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture in India under the blue revolution. The book is organised under 13 chapters covering wide ranging subjects that include fish production, processing, marketing, exports/imports of fishery products; ecolabelling; role of industry in promoting sustainability in fishing and aquaculture; sustainability issues in marine/inland fisheries/aquaculture; and fisheries regulations and legislations. Information has been provided on Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) particularly SDG 14 (Life Below Water); components of blue economy; Government of India fisheries development initiatives; and executive summary of recently launched PMMSY. Emerging plant and cell-based seafood segment; overall impacts of climate change; and impact of recent pandemic COVID-19 on fisheries and aquaculture are discussed under separate chapters. Finally, a chapter on ‘Way Forward’ is included that suggests practical management measures, technology infusion, technical interventions along with few innovative concepts and approaches towards achieving blue revolution. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, incorporating expertise from collaborating member countries and international commodity organisations. It provides market projections for national, regional and global supply and demand of major agricultural commodities, biofuel and fish.