Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029
OECD and FAO 16 Jul 2020, 330 pages

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.

During the preparation of the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029, the exact effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural markets were still largely unknown and they were therefore not incorporated in the baseline projections. Nevertheless, the Outlook aims to outline the channels of transmission of COVID-19 impacts on the various food and agriculture sectors.

Supplementary information can be found at www.agri-outlook.org.

According to the  report, ‘Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029’, sub-Saharan Africa’s trade deficit in major food items is anticipated to widen over the next 10 years.

Evaluated at constant (2004/2006) global reference prices, the deficit is anticipated to grow from about US$18 billion to US$31 billion by 2029. This is a result of the fact that import volumes of cereals, meat, sugar and oils are rising, and apart from sugar, imports to the region of nearly all main commodities are growing at a faster rate than the production or exports.

To help address the threats to Africa’s food and nutrition security includes:
  • accurately assessing COVID-19’s impact on food and nutrition security, livelihoods and food systems in the African Union’s member states;
  • meeting the immediate food needs of the continent’s vulnerable populations;
  • helping Africa’s smallholder farmers increase their productivity and market access;
  • and establishing adequate emergency strategic food reserves and storage facilities.

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