Food Assistance Convention

21 June 2023

PRESS RELEASE

FOOD ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE PRESS RELEASE

The 17th FAC Session was held via video conference on Wednesday 21 June 2023 under the Chairpersonship of Ms Lauratuulia Lehtinen, Director for Humanitarian aid and policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland

Parties of the Convention, namely, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, Russian Federation, Slovenia, and the United States of America participated in the session.

The Committee reviewed the global situation regarding hunger and malnutrition and current food emergencies against the backdrop of recent developments including the outlook for world markets for grains, rice, oilseeds.

The IGC Secretariat provided members with an update of the current grains, rice and oilseeds situation, including recent movements in international prices and prospects for supply and demand in 2023/24, when world grains production is predicted to expand by 40m t y/y, to 2,294m. With consumption seen advancing by about 2% y/y on increased uptake across feed, food and industrial sectors, end-season stocks were projected to further tighten, to a nine-year low. World rice output is projected to increase by 2% y/y, to a record of 521m t in 2023/24, with modest increases in uptake and stocks predicted. Trade was predicted to edge up in 2024 (Jan/Dec) on demand from African importers. The Secretariat also included prospects for global supply of pulses, which is predicted to expand for the second successive year, as well as outlooks for millets.