No.3  July 2008  
   Crop Prospects and Food Situation

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Highlights

Countries in crisis requiring external assistance1 (total: 34 countries)

Food Emergencies Update

Global cereal supply and demand brief

Policy measures taken by governments to reduce the impact of soaring prices

FAO global cereal supply and demand indicators

FAO food price indices

Regional reviews

Special feature: Zimbabwe

Statistical appendix

Note

Countries in crisis requiring external assistance1 (total: 34 countries)

Nature of Food Insecurity

Main Reasons

Changes from last report

(April 2008)

AFRICA (21 countries)

Exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies

  

Lesotho

Low productivity, HIV/AIDS pandemic

 

Somalia

Conflict, adverse weather

 

Swaziland

Low productivity, HIV/AIDS pandemic

 

Zimbabwe

Deepening economic crisis, adverse weather

 

Widespread lack of access

  

Eritrea

IDPs, economic constraints

 

Liberia

War related damage

 

Mauritania

Several years of drought

 

Sierra Leone

War related damage

 

Severe localized food insecurity

  

Burundi

Civil strife, IDPs and returnees

 

Central African Republic

Refugees, insecurity in parts

 

Chad

Refugees, conflict

 

Congo, Democratic Republic of

Civil strife, returnees

 

Congo, Republic of

IDPs

 

Côte d'Ivoire

Conflict related damage

 

Ethiopia

Insecurity in parts, localized crop failure

 

Ghana

After-effects of drought and floods

 

Guinea

Refugees, conflict

 

Guinea-Bissau

Localized insecurity

 

Kenya

Civil strife, adverse weather, pests

 

Sudan

Civil strife (Darfur), insecurity (southern Sudan)

 

Uganda

IDPs

 

ASIA (11 countries)

Exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies

  

Iraq

Conflict and insufficient rainfall

 

Widespread lack of access

  

Afghanistan

Conflict and insecurity, inadequate rainfall

 

Korea, Dem. People's Rep. of

Economic constraints and effects of past floods

 

Myanmar

Cyclone

 

Severe localized food insecurity

  

Bangladesh

Past floods and cyclone

 

China

Earthquake in southwestern China

 

Nepal

Poor market access and drought

 

Philippines

Typhoon

 

Sri Lanka

Conflict

 

Tajikistan

Winter crop damage, poor market access, locusts

 

Timor-Leste

IDPs, high food prices

 

LATIN AMERICA (1 country)

Severe localized food insecurity

  

Bolivia

Past floods

 

EUROPE (1 country)

Exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies

  

Moldova

After-effects of 2007 drought

 

COUNTRIES WITH UNFAVOURABLE PROSPECTS FOR CURRENT CROPS 2

AFRICA
EthiopiaInsufficient rainfall 
KenyaInsufficient rainfall, crop diseases 
SomaliaAdverse weather, conflicts 
ASIA
AfghanistanAdverse weather, limited supplies and high food prices 
IranRainfall deficit, limited snowmelt 
IraqGeneralized insufficient rainfall 
JordanInsufficient rainfall 
Syrian Arab Rep.Insufficient rainfall 
TajikistanAdverse weather 
TunisiaInsufficient rainfall 
TurkmenistanAdverse weather 
   No change   Improving   Deteriorating

TERMINOLOGY

1 Countries in crisis requiring external assistance are expected to lack the resources to deal with reported critical problems of food insecurity. Food crises are nearly always due to a combination of factors but for the purpose of response planning, it is important to establish whether the nature of food crises is predominantly related to lack of food availability, limited access to food, or severe but localized problems. Accordingly, the list of countries requiring external assistance is organized into three broad, not mutually exclusive, categories:

    Countries facing an exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies as a result of crop failure, natural disasters, interruption of imports, disruption of distribution, excessive post-harvest losses, or other supply bottlenecks.

    Countries with widespread lack of access, where a majority of the population is considered to be unable to procure food from local markets, due to very low incomes, exceptionally high food prices, or the inability to circulate within the country.

    Countries with severe localized food insecurity due to the influx of refugees, a concentration of internally displaced persons, or areas with combinations of crop failure and deep poverty.

2 Countries facing unfavourable prospects for current crops are countries where prospects point to a shortfall in production of current crops as a result of a reduction of the area planted and/or adverse weather conditions, plant pests, diseases and other calamities which indicate a need for close monitoring of the crops for the remainder of the growing season.

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