Direct links
The Food Security Portal gratefully acknowledges the European Commission (EC) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the Government of the United Kingdom for their financial support of the Ukraine crisis monitoring.
The crisis in Ukraine threatens global food security at a time when global food markets are already struggling with soaring prices, supply-chain disruptions, and a bumpy recovery from the pandemic. Ukraine and the Russian Federation account for more than 30% of global wheat exports, provide around 12 percent of the globally traded supply of food energy in kilo calories, and are breadbaskets to many food import-dependent developing countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, Russia is a major producer of fertilizer. Any serious disruption of production and exports from these suppliers will drive up prices further and erode food security for millions of people. If governments respond with export restrictions in an effort to keep domestic food prices in check, the impact on food security will be even higher.
In this context, monitoring the impact of the crisis on food security is key. To that end, this page provides several tools to monitor the situation. Here you can monitor production and stocks, track food export restrictions, check food price volatility, and access resources such as the AMIS Market Monitor.
The AMIS Market Monitor December 2024
Global prices for AMIS crops are currently lower than they were a year ago. The maize subindex has declined by 1.5%, while wheat and rice prices have fallen by approximately 10%, and soybean prices have dropped by nearly 20%. This indicates a relatively stable global market situation for the current marketing season.
However, uncertainties persist, particularly concerning potential shifts in U.S. trade policies and the reactions from trading partners. With 2024 projected to be the warmest year on record, variations in rainfall and temperature are expected to have mixed impacts on crop yields, varying by commodity and region.
Food and Fertilizer Export Restrictions Tracker
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to expose global food security to high uncertainty, exacerbating already soaring food prices stemming from COVID-19-induced supply disruptions and drought-reduced yields. As seen in past global food price crises, some countries have begun restricting food trade with the objective of controlling domestic food inflation. These restrictions can have dire unintended consequences for vulnerable people in food-importing countries, increasing prices and exacerbating food insecurity.
Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System
Excessive food price volatility (variability) affects farmers, traders, processors and consumers – and it threatens food security. In the aftermath of the 2007-2008 food price crisis and post-crisis commodity price volatility, the Food Security Portal developed the Excessive Food Price Variability Early Warning System, which identifies periods of excessive price variability (i.e. price variability that exceeds a pre-established threshold). The instrument serves as an early warning system for unusual periods of excessive price variability.