Food outlook - Global market analysis |
Jun 2008
|
Food Outlook is a biannual publication focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. The sub-title "Global Market Analysis" reflects this focus on developments in international markets, with comprehensive assessments and forecasts on a commodity by commodity basis.
All agricultural commodities covered in this report are of critical importance to global food and feed markets. They constitute much of the world’s food consumption, generate income to farmers and represent the largest portion of food import expenditures across the world. The analysis in the report puts in perspective market developments in recent months with a view to providing some insights into how the outlook might unfold for the commodities covered during the coming months.
In recent weeks, international prices of many agricultural commodities have started to fall and early indications do not preclude further declines in the coming months, however, prices are unlikely to return to the low levels of previous years due to a host of reasons, including the escalated cost of inputs. Moreover, a number of demand factors such as the need to replenish stocks and expected increases in utilization are keeping prices high despite a favourable global production outlook. The most influential development in pushing up international prices of basic foods has been the low level of exportable supplies, resulting from utilization outstripping production for several crops in a number of major exporting countries. Rising utilization levels would necessitate more than one good growing season to bring about a meaningful replenishment of stocks and hence a reduction in price volatility.
Recent events have brought agriculture back to the centre stage. World leaders are coming to Rome to attend the High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy to be held in June 2008. Governments are showing concern; giving strong support to calls for short-term humanitarian assistance as well as for longer-term aid to the agricultural sector, enabling it to adjust to the ever increasing world demand in the face of growing resource constraints. Collective international action is needed now to develop agriculture and fight hunger.
|
