“FAO's products, databases and tools on food security” presented by Purushottan Mudbhary, FAO, Bangkok at the ReSAKSS-Asia Conference, Nov 14-16, 2011, in Kathmandu, Nepal.

1. FAO products, databases
and tools on Food Security
Purushottam K. Mudbhary
FAO-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Technical Workshop on Knowledge,Tools and Lessons
for Informing the Design and Implementation
of Food Security Strategies in Asia
14-16 November 2011
Kathmandu, Nepal

2. Contents
1. FAO flagship publications
2. Information resources and databases
3. Portals with development partners
4. Quick links

3. 1. FLAGSHIP PUBLICATIONS

4. Agriculture and food security
Most important publications present
comprehensive and objective information and
analysis. These titles are issued regularly, to
inform public debate and policy-making at
national and international levels.
•The State of Food Insecurity in the World
(SOFI)
•The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)
• State of the World's Forests (SOFO)
•OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook
•The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
(SOFIA)
•The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets
(SOCO)
http://www.fao.org/publications/en/
http://www.agri-outlook.org/pages/0,2987,en_36774715_36775671_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

5. 2. INFORMATION RESOURCES
AND DATABASES

6. 1. Commodity markets information
Publication Description When and where is
published?
Crop Prospects and
Food Situation
Provides a review of the food situation by geographic region, a section
dedicated to the LIFDCs and a list of countries requiring external assistance for
food. It also includes a global cereal supply and demand overview
Quarterly
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/c
pfs/index.htm
Global Food Price
Monitor
Describes current food prices at world, regional and country level with focus on
developing countries
Monthly
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/
gfpm/index.htm
Food Outlook Reflects this focus on developments in international markets, with
comprehensive assessments and forecasts on a commodity by commodity basis
Biannually
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/f
o/index.htm
Country Briefs Include information on current agricultural season and the harvest prospects
for main staple food crops and livestock situation.
Quarterly
http://www.fao.org/giews/countryb
rief/
Asia Pacific Food
Situation Update
APFSU
Provides a review of the food situation in Asia and the Pacific Monthly
http://www.fao.org/world/regional
/rap/en/
AP Weekly Price
Monitor
Describes weekly food prices and policy information in selected countries at
Asia and the Pacific countries level
Weekly
http://foodsecuritylink.net/index.ph
p?option=com_remository&Itemid=
27&func=select&id=12

7. Agricultural Market Information System
(AMIS)
• Markets are vital to agriculture and
agriculture is vital to food security.
• Market instability as manifested by sharp
price swings, or volatility, is exacerbated
by a lack of accurate information on the
international supply and demand
situation.
• AMIS is a collaborative food information
initiative that builds on and complements
existing systems and improves global
food market information with accuracy
and transparency.
See reports: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-
home/en/?no_cache=1

9. 2. Specific databases
Resource Description Link
FAO STAT Provides time-series and cross sectional data relating to food and
agriculture for some 200 countries.
http://www.fao.org/econom
ic/ess/ess-fs/en/
Food security statistics Webpage that provides data, methodology, MDG progress, food balance
sheets, food analysis for household surveys, working papers, etc.
http://www.fao.org/econom
ic/ess/ess-fs/en/
GIEWS Food Price Data and
Analysis Tool
The database currently includes over 1000 monthly domestic retail and/or
wholesale price series of major foods consumed in 79 countries and 11
international cereal export price series, covering a total of 20 different
food commodity categories.
http://www.fao.org/giews/p
ricetool2/
Food and Agriculture Policy
Decision Analysis Tool
(FAPDA)
It aims to contribute to harmonization of member countries’ policy
decisions for global, regional and national food security.
It provides up-to-date information for policy reviews and analyses to
support the national policy process.
www.fao.org/tc/fapda-tool/
EASYPol A multilingual repository of freely downloadable resources for policy
making in agriculture, rural development and food security.
These resources focus on policy findings, methodological tools and capacity
development.
.
http://www.fao.org/easypol
/output/about.asp
ADAM (Agricultural
Development Assistance
Mapping)
ADAM is a web-based tool, which supports decentralized offices and
technical departments in the identification of FAO comparative
advantages, strategic prioritization and resource mobilization at the
country and (sub) regional level. It also allows users to better understand
Government development priorities, who are the major resource partners
in the sector, as well as to assess coherence and possible gaps in
addressing agriculture sector priorities.
http://fenix.fao.org:8050/fe
nix-web/adam/ADAM.html

10. FAO STAT
Go back to table

11. Food security statistics
Go back to table

12. Price tool
Go back to table

13. Policy tool
Go back to table

14. EASY pol
Go back to table

15. 3. PORTALS WITH
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

16. 3. For and from development partners
FOR development partners…
• ADAM allows users to better understand Government
development priorities, who are the major resource partners in the
sector, as well as to assess coherence and possible gaps in addressing
agriculture sector priorities.
FROM FAO - EU…
• The website provides access to a
wealth of resources that include
– (i) Standards, tools and methodologies,
– (ii) E-learning courses and training
materials; and
– (iii) Food security country briefs
http://www.foodsec.org/web/
• Information for selected countries in
Asia and the Pacific
http://foodsecuritylink.net/

17. 4. QUICK LINKS

18. • World Food Situation: most recent data including the FAO food price index
http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/en/?no_cache=1
• David Lubin Library
http://www.fao.org/library/en/
• Corporate Document Repository: you will find all FAO publications
http://www.fao.org/documents/en/docrep.jsp;jsessionid=4B4E47FE42F98DCC89B7D04D8394339C
• Right to food
http://www.fao.org/righttofood/index_en.htm
• Rural income generating activities
http://www.fao.org/economic/riga/en/
• Photo Library
http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/consagri/photofile/file/Index.htm
4. Quick links