Markets and Trade

Trade Policy and Partnerships

Trade and trade policy can significantly impact food security, nutrition and employment. FAO promotes transparency and efficiency in food and agricultural commodity markets and in trade by supporting its Members with evidence building, capacity development, technical assistance, and facilitation of policy dialogue events. FAO also promotes sustainable production and trade by facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships in agricultural value chains. For instance, FAO supports the World Banana Forum (WBF), a successful multi-stakeholder platform. 

Themes
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Trade, food security and sustainable development
The 2030 Agenda recognizes that trade is key to addressing food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture. International agri-food trade can help balance food deficits and surpluses across countries, improve availability of diverse foods, and contribute to price stability.    

 

 

 

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Trade Policy and Trade Agreements
FAO assists its Members to implement trade agreements and to prepare for trade negotiations through studies, analyses, training and experience sharing. This assistance supports countries’ effective participation in the multilateral trading system and promotes the benefits of trade to be shared by all.


 

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Trade in an evolving context: international standards, innovation and digitalization
FAO supports its Members through evidence-building on emerging issues and provides technical assistance in response to demands relating to food safety and trade facilitation, trade digitalization, and innovation, among others.

 

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Public-private partnerships for sustainable trade

Public-private partnerships for sustainable trade involve collaboration between governmental entities, private sector companies, and civil society organizations to promote responsible business practices in agricultural trade. They address challenges like food security, rural poverty, environmental and social sustainability, and economic development by fostering innovation, knowledge exchange and multi-stakeholder collaboration. One example of such collaboration is the World Banana Forum, which serves as a nexus connecting stakeholders across the global banana value-chain.

 

Projects
Latest news
12/06/2025
Rome – FAO’s latest assessments indicate a relatively optimistic outlook for global food commodity markets, with production anticipated to increase across all commodities, except sugar, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
06/06/2025

Rome – The benchmark of world food commodity prices dropped in May as marked declines in international quotations for maize and palm oil outweighed historically high prices for butter and bovine meat, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported on Friday.

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