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☆ Russia says it has delivered 200,000 tons of grain to African countries
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Russian Ministry of Agriculture said Tuesday it had shipped 200,000 tons of grain in humanitarian aid to six African nations, fulfilling the Kremlin’s pledge to the continent last July. Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said late Tuesday that Burkina Faso, Mali, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe each received 25,000 tons of grain while the Central African Republic and Somalia got 50,000 tons each, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Somalia and Eritrea had previously sourced 90-100% of their grain needs from both Russia and Ukraine before the conflict, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). ‘A strategic donation’The Kremlin’s grain initiative has been described by analysts as a “strategic” move as Putin’s African alliance broadens. So, it’s contestation.”Many African states took a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in perceived loyalty to the Kremlin.

Persons: Dmitry Patrushev, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Patrushev, ”, Godfrey Kanyenze, Kanyenze, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Agriculture, Central African, United, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Labor and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe Locations: Burkina Faso, Mali, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Somalia, United Nations, Turkey, Africa, St . Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, rocketing

“Climate and conflict are two leading drivers of (our) global food crisis,” the secretary-general said. And in Myanmar, prospects of ending hunger have gone into reverse because of conflict and instability, he said. Simon Stiell, the United Nations climate chief, told the council that climate change is contributing to food insecurity and to conflict. Framework Convention on Climate Change said the Security Council “must acknowledge more can be done rather than hoping the problem will go away — which it won’t.”The U.N.’s most powerful body should be requesting regular updates on climate security risks, he said. But climate change, environmental and security pressures have led to increased tensions and competition between herders and farmers for scarce resources including water and land, she said.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, “, ”, Guterres, Simon Stiell, ” Stiell, Beth Bechdol, ” Bechdol, Bechdol, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, ” Ali, U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, Nebenzia Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, ”, . Security Council, Security, Agriculture Organization Locations: Russia, “, Gaza, Syria, Myanmar, United, Food, Central Africa, Africa, Haiti, United States, Yugoslavia, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russian

Despite the fact that food is a big climate problem, very little has been done so far to address it. Here are some details about the sources of emissions from the food and agriculture sector:HOW MUCH DOES OUR FOOD EMIT? Global food systems accounted for 17 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent or 31% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That wasted food - including the energy used to produce and transport it, spoilage along the way and the food thrown out after rotting in household fridges - generates half of all global food system emissions, according to a March study published in the journal Nature Food. Food waste makes up about 25% of municipal solid waste in landfills in the United States, according to a recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Persons: Brittany Hosea, Leah Douglas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, mets, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Environmental Protection Agency, Thomson Locations: Vernalis , California, U.S, Dubai, Brazil, United States

We need to implement food systems approaches throughout COP28," said Joao Campari, global leader of food practice at the World Wildlife Fund. Doing so could also unlock financial investment in tackling food emissions, said Saswati Bora, global director for regenerative food systems at the Nature Conservancy. TACKLING METHANEA key goal for advocates is reducing methane emissions from food sectors like livestock production and food waste. Countries should also make stronger commitments in NDCs on food waste, said Liz Goodwin, director of food loss and waste at the World Resources Institute. Food waste generates half of all global food system emissions according to a March study published in the journal Nature Food.

Persons: David Swanson, Joao Campari, NDCs, Patty Fong, Saswati Bora, Bora, John Tauzel, Tauzel, Liz Goodwin, Goodwin, Leah Douglas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, World Wildlife Fund, Conference of, United, United Arab Emirates, Global Alliance, Nature Conservancy, COP26, Environmental Defense Fund, World Resources Institute, Thomson Locations: Corcoran , California, U.S, Dubai, COP28, United Arab, United States, India, China, Canada, NDCs

The big-box retailer's stock has lost a quarter of its value in a turbulent year marked by elevated inflation. Shoppers have focused on food and essentials purchases while spending less on home goods, electronics, toys and apparel. Target sales declined by an average 7% in August and September alongside declines in transaction count and value, TD Cowen said in a note ahead of its earnings. On Wednesday, Target forecast adjusted earnings to land between $1.90 and $2.60 per share in the fourth quarter. It also expects holiday-quarter comparable sales to decline in the mid-single-digit percentage range, compared with expectations of a 3.97% drop.

Persons: Brian Cornell, Cornell, TD Cowen, Kendra Scott, Lucy Nicholson, Brian Mulberry, Price, Dave Wagner, Siddharth Cavale, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Matthew Lewis, Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Target, Shoppers, Schwarz, Azusa , California U.S, REUTERS, Zacks Investment Management, Walmart, Consumer, Retail's, . Commerce Department, Aptus Capital Advisors, Thomson Locations: Azusa , California, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland , Oregon, Bengaluru

☆ Lebanon Says Fires Destroy 40,000 Olive Trees, Blames Israeli Shelling
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Riham AlkousaaBEIRUT (Reuters) - Fires caused by Israeli shelling in south Lebanon have burned some 40,000 olive trees and torched hundreds of square km (miles) of land, dealing a serious blow to a major Lebanese crop, the agriculture minister said. The Israeli army denied the accusation and said the types of smoke-screen shell it uses do not contain white phosphorus. "These olives have not been harvested yet, meaning we lost the trees and the season," Hajj Hassan said. (But) we have olives trees that are 200 years old." Mohammad el Husseini of the south Lebanon farmers syndicate said the Lebanese government would not be able to compensate farmers for the losses, with the country four years into a devastating financial meltdown.

Persons: Israel, Abbas Hajj Hassan, Hajj Hassan, Dory Farah, Alma Alashaab, Mohammad el Husseini, Riham Alkousaa, Emily Rose, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas, Reuters, Agriculture, Agriculture Organization, FAO Locations: Riham, BEIRUT, Lebanon, Iran, Lebanese, Israel, Palestinian, Alma, Food, Olive, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ Hasbro cuts revenue view, joins Mattel to warn of cloudy holiday quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Savyata Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 26 (Reuters) - Hasbro (HAS.O) cut its annual revenue forecast for the second time this year on weak toy demand and joined Barbie-maker Mattel to warn of choppy holiday-quarter sales, sending its shares down 12% before the bell. The Monopoly maker expects 2023 revenue to tumble 13% to 15% compared to a prior forecast of a 3% to 6% decline. Its third-quarter revenue and profit also missed market expectations, with revenue from its core toy business dropping 18% as shoppers cut back on non-essential spending. Hasbro saw a 40% surge in digital and licensed gaming revenue on strong demand for its "Monopoly Go" and "Baldur's Gate III" games. Analysts have warned that uncertain holiday spend and softer toy demand could prompt retailers to keep supply tight and offer steep discounts to avoid a pile-up like last year.

Persons: FAO Schwarz, Andrew Kelly, Barbie, Chris Cocks, James Zahn, Savyata Mishra, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Hasbro, Inc, FAO, REUTERS, Mattel, Consumer Products, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ 'Barbie' boom helps Mattel lift annual profit target after bumper sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Barbie dolls, a brand owned by Mattel, are seen at the FAO Schwarz toy store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. The company now expects annual adjusted earnings per share between $1.15 and $1.25, compared with its previous forecast of $1.10 to $1.20. read moreWorldwide gross billings, or the amount invoiced to customers, for Mattel's Dolls segment rose 24% in constant currency for the quarter. Mattel slightly raised its annual adjusted gross margin target to between 47% and 48%, after margins for the quarter ended Sept. 30 rose 270 basis points to 51%. Adjusted profit per share came in at $1.08, beating analysts' estimate of 86 cents, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Barbie, FAO Schwarz, Andrew Kelly, Ynon Kreiz, Kreiz, Juveria Tabassum, Devika Organizations: Mattel, FAO, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S

[1/2] Grape leaves damaged by fungus favoured by a combination of drought followed by torrential spring rain are pictured in San Paolo di Civitate, Italy July 18, 2023. That means Italy is set to lose its position as the world's top wine producer to France, which had ceded the crown nine years ago. "Early in May we realised there would be no harvest, we cultivate organically and experienced the (fungus) attack sooner," he told Reuters. Italian output is forecast to fall to below 44 million hectolitres this year, according to the wine lobbies and ISMEA, from 50 million last year. Thanks to heavy rains and humidity, the fungus was able to attack the vines during these vulnerable periods, he added.

Persons: San Paolo di Civitate, Romolo, DI CIVITATE, Paolo Niro, di Civitate, Plasmopara, Andrea Luvisi, Niro, Fazil Dusunceli, Dusunceli, Gavin Jones, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, DI, Reuters, University of Salento, United Nations Food, Agriculture Organisation, FAO, Thomson Locations: San Paolo, Italy, France, Americas, Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia, San, Rome

☆ World food price index falls back to two-year low -FAO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency's world price index fell in August to a new two-year low, reversing a rebound seen the previous month, as a decline in most food commodities offset increases for rice and sugar. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 121.4 points in August against a revised 124.0 for the previous month, the agency said on Friday. In a separate report on cereal supply and demand, the FAO forecast world cereal production this year at 2.815 billion tonnes, down slightly from a previous estimate of 2.819 billion. The revised forecast was nonetheless up 0.9% on 2022 and matched record output from 2021, the FAO said. Reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gus Trompiz, Hugh Lawson Organizations: United, Agriculture Organization's, FAO, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Ukraine

☆ World food price index back at two-year low despite rice surge -FAO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Megan Varner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency's world price index fell in August to a new two-year low, reversing a rebound seen the previous month, as a decline in most food commodities offset increases for rice and sugar. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 121.4 points in August against a revised 124.0 for the previous month, the agency said on Friday. The July reading was initially given as 123.9 in a rebound from a two-year low in June. The drop in the overall index reflected declines for dairy products, vegetable oils, meat and cereals, despite a jump in FAO's rice benchmark to a 15-year high following Indian export restrictions, the agency said. In contrast, the agency's rice index surged by almost 10% month-on-month as India's decision in July to ban Indica white rice exports disrupted trade at a time of tight availabilities ahead of new-crop harvests, FAO said.

Persons: Megan Varner, Gus Trompiz, Hugh Lawson, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Community Assistance Center, REUTERS, Rights, United, Agriculture Organization's, FAO, El, European Union, Thomson Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, United Nations, Ukraine, Oceania, Canada, FAO

"The price of global rice prices is particularly worrying," Qingfeng Zhang, a senior director from the Asian Development Bank, told CNBC. Other than India, food inflation has been relatively tame in Asia so far this year. Underscoring how higher food prices erode purchasing power, ADB suggested at that time that a 10% rise in domestic food prices in developing Asia would push 64.4 million into poverty, based on the $1.25-a-day poverty line. Moreover, this spike in rice prices is happening amidst widespread lower food prices. watch nowThis means any spikes in food prices will only translate to food inflation toward the end of this year or early 2024.

Persons: Qingfeng Zhang, El Niño, Niño, Erica Tay, Tay, Tay . Rice, Xi Jinping, Morgan Stanley, Maybank Nomura, Sonal Varma, Si Ying Toh, Nomura, Paul Hughes, Hughes, Global's Hughes Organizations: Istock, Asian Development Bank, CNBC, ADB, United Nations, FAO, Tay . Locations: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Asia, India, Thailand, China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Tay, U.S, El, Australia, Pacific, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia

☆ Global rice prices surge close to 12-year highs, and could rise even more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rice trader displays variety of rice samples at a wholesale store, in Guwahati, Assam, India on August 2, 2023. Rice prices surged to their highest in almost 12 years on the back of India's rice export ban and adverse weather conditions that could impact production, said the United Nations' food agency. The Food and Agriculture Organization All Rice Price Index for July rose by 2.8% to 129.7 points. El Nino is a climate phenomenon marked by extreme temperatures and weather conditions that could interrupt lives and livelihoods. 20, as the government seeks to keep a cap on soaring food prices at home, and ensure there are enough supplies domestically "at reasonable prices."

Persons: Rice, El Nino Organizations: United Nations, Agriculture, Rice, Index, FAO, El Nino Locations: Guwahati, Assam, India, United, Thailand, El

☆ What Japanese potato chip maker Calbee learned from a potato shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —What happens when Asia’s biggest potato chip maker runs out of potatoes? Pepsi (PEP) controls about 24% of the region’s potato chip market, while Calbee has about 12%, according to data from Euromonitor International. But the area was ravaged by drought in 2021, and the firm’s domestic potato supply fell by 8% and 14% in the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years, respectively. Calbee tried to make up for the shortfall by importing more from the United States, which normally accounts for the remaining 10% of its potato supply. “Staying available on shelves is essential, not just to compete with other potato chip brands but also with other types of snacks.”

Persons: ”, Makoto Ehara, Noriko Hayashi, Calbee, Ehara, it’s, Keiei Sho, Sho, Emil Fazira Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Pepsi, Euromonitor, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Walmart Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Asia, Brazil, Ukraine, Japan, Hokkaido, United States, Pacific Northwest, ”, America, Europe, China, Indonesia, Asia Pacific

☆ World rice price index jumps to near 12-year high in July, UN food agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency's rice price index rose 2.8% in July from a month ago to their highest level in nearly 12 years as prices in key exporting countries jumped on strong demand and India's move to curb the exports, the agency said on Friday. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) All Rice Price Index, which tracks prices in key exporting countries, averaged 129.7 points in July against 126.2 points for the previous month, the agency said. The July score was almost 20% higher than the last year's 108.4 points and the highest since September 2011, it said. The agency's overall world food price index also rose in July, rebounding from two-year lows. India, which accounts for 40% of world rice exports, last month ordered a halt to its largest rice export category to calm domestic prices, which climbed to multi-year highs in recent weeks as erratic weather threatens production.

Persons: Rice, Rajendra, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: United, Agriculture Organization's, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, United Nations, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, China, Philippines, Benin, Senegal, Nigeria, Malaysia

☆ Global food prices bounce following collapse of Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Global food prices ticked up last month after Russia pulled out of a deal to allow the safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukrainian ports. The United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said Friday that its global Food Price Index rose 1.3% in July compared with the month before — notching only the second increase in a year of steady declines since the grain deal was struck. “International sunflower oil prices rebounded by more than 15% month-on-month, primarily underpinned by renewed uncertainties surrounding the exportable supplies out of the Black Sea region,” the FAO said in a statement. The FAO’s global wheat price index — which feeds into its broader Food Price Index — jumped 1.6% in July from the month before, its first monthly increase in nine months. Russian attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure since the grain deal’s collapse have also bumped up prices in recent weeks.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, —, ” Putin, Shashwat Organizations: London CNN — Global, United Nations, Food, Agricultural Organization, FAO, —, UN, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Gro Intelligence, East, International Rescue Locations: Russia, Russian, Somalia, Eritrea, Ukraine, Asia, North America, East, East Africa

☆ Hasbro to sell film and TV unit, cuts forecast on Hollywood strike hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Savyata Mishra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File photoAug 3 (Reuters) - Hasbro (HAS.O) lowered its annual revenue forecast on an expected hit from the ongoing strike by Hollywood writers and actors and said it would divest its film and TV business to focus on selling toys and games. Hasbro said it would sell its eOne film and TV studio to Lionsgate Entertainment by year-end for about $500 million, adding that its revenue forecast includes the performance of the business being sold. "With the sale of its eOne Film & TV business to Lionsgate, Hasbro is dodging a bullet in terms of the content pipeline. Hasbro also lowered its growth target for adjusted operating margin to between 20 basis points (bps) and 50 bps, from 50 bps to 70 bps rise forecast earlier. Reporting by Savyata Mishra and Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: FAO Schwarz, Andrew Kelly, James Zahn, Savyata Mishra, Granth, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Hasbro, Inc, Star, FAO, REUTERS, Hollywood, Lionsgate Entertainment, Lionsgate, WGA, SAG, Monopoly, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

CNN —Russia said Monday it was suspending its participation in a crucial deal that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain, once again raising fears over global food supplies and scuppering a rare diplomatic breakthrough to emerge from Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Peskov left the door open to reviving the deal in the future, saying that Russia will comply “as soon as the Russian part (of the deal) is completed.”A ship carries grain from Ukraine last week. Mehmet Emin Caliskan/ReutersUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week accused Russia of using the grain deal “as a weapon.”The deal allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports and and navigate safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait. It proved vital for stabilizing global food prices and bringing relief to the developing countries which rely on Ukrainian exports. There are alternative routes for Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports by rail through eastern Europe, but they can’t readily cope with the volume that Ukraine wants to export.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, “, Peskov, ”, Vladimir Putin, Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Antony Blinken, Ukraine’s Organizations: CNN, United Nations, ”, Reuters, Food Programme, European Commission, Agriculture Organization, FAO, UN Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Istanbul, Kyiv, Moscow, ” Russia, Russian, Crimea, Sevastopol, Europe

☆ Scientists are growing seeds in space to help adapt to climate change on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of changing climate conditions and although changes to temperature, rainfall patterns, and frost might extend a growing season or enable the cultivation of different crops, climate change also introduces major challenges for farming. Shoba Sivasankar examines sorghum seeds that spent around five months at the International Space Station . K. Laffan/IAEABy selectively breeding plants grown from the mutated seeds, Sivasankar and her team hope to create new crop strains. The private sector has also taken an interest in the impact of spaceflight on plant seeds. StarLab Oasis plans to grow seeds on external docking platforms at space stations, shown here in a rendering Nanoracks/Starlab OasisSending seeds to space will help “sustainability, climate change, and food security on Earth,” StarLab Oasis’ co-founder Allen Herbert told CNN in 2022.

Persons: Shoba Sivasankar, ”, “, StarLab, Allen Herbert Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Agriculture Organization, FAO, International Space, of, Food, Agriculture, Space, Michigan State University, MSU, United Arab Emirates, StarLab Oasis, Oasis Locations: China, Abu Dhabi

Aspartame is one of the world's most popular sweeteners, used in products from Coca-Cola diet sodas to Mars' Extra chewing gum. In its first declaration on the additive, announced early on Friday, the Lyon-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said aspartame was a "possible carcinogen". Several scientists not associated with the reviews said the evidence linking aspartame to cancer is weak. There was also some limited evidence that aspartame has some chemical properties that are linked to cancer, the IARC said. Scientists with no links to the WHO reviews said the evidence that aspartame caused cancer was weak.

Persons: Francesco Branca, " Branca, JECFA, Branca, Mary Schubauer, Paul Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Kate Loatman, Frances Hunt, Wood, Richa Naidu, Caroline Humer, Catherine Evans Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Agency for Research, Cancer, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Reuters, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, International Council of Beverage Associations, International, Thomson Locations: Lyon, Geneva, United States, Europe, Cedars, Los Angeles

☆ What is aspartame and what do the new WHO rulings mean?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Discovered in 1965 by American chemist James Schlatter, aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than regular table sugar. One group of experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), said aspartame is a "possible carcinogen". For aspartame, this limit is 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight per day. Aspartame's use in food products has been debated for decades and has also prompted some companies to remove the compound from their products. PepsiCo (PEP.O) removed aspartame from Diet Pepsi in 2015 but brought it back a year later.

Persons: James Schlatter, Gunter Kuhnle, Mills, Yoplait, JECFA, Elissa Welle, Savyata Mishra, Deborah Sophia, Caroline Humer, Catherine Evans Organizations: World Health, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, WHO, International Agency for Research, Cancer, FAO, United Kingdom's University of Reading, PepsiCo, Pepsi, FDA, IARC, National Library of Medicine, Thomson Locations: Diet, saccharin, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, New York, Bengaluru

☆ World food prices fall to two-year low in May, UN food agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency's world price index fell in May to its lowest in two years, as a slump in prices of vegetable oils, cereals and dairy outweighed increases for sugar and meat. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally-traded food commodities, averaged 124.3 points in May against a revised 127.7 for the previous month, the agency said on Friday. But international rice prices continued to increase in May, partly due to tighter supplies in some exporting countries, said FAO. However, improving weather conditions in Brazil and lower crude oil prices have curbed sugar markets, it added. Wheat stocks were forecast to fall, however, as production was seen declining while demand was expected to be stable.

Persons: Gus Trompiz, Emelia Sithole Organizations: United, Agriculture Organization's, FAO, El, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Ukraine, Brazil

☆ Black Sea grain deal: A crucial pact aimed at averting a global food crisis has been extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A crucial deal aimed at averting a global food crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been extended for two months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday an agreement has been reached with Russia and Ukraine to extend the Black Sea grain deal. Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesWhat is the Black Sea grain deal and why is it important? The Black Sea grain deal was first reached in July 2022. The Black Sea grain deal was an agreement made between Russia and Ukraine – however, it was not a direct agreement.

☆ World food prices rise for first time in a year, UN food agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 127.2 points last month against 126.5 for March, the agency said on Friday. "As economies recover from significant slowdowns, demand will increase, exerting upward pressure on food prices," said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero. While the meat index rose 1.3% month-on-month, dairy prices dipped 1.7%, vegetable oil prices fell 1.3% and the cereal price index shed 1.7%, with a decline in world prices of all major grains outweighing an increase in rice prices. World cereal utilisation in the 2022/23 period was seen at 2.780 billion tonnes, FAO said, down 0.7% from 2021/22. World cereal stocks by the close of the 2022/2023 seasons are expected to ease by 0.2% from their opening levels to 855 million tonnes.

☆ Inside the Wild World of Celebrity Keynote Speakers: Drugs, Alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

"I never saw myself as a speaker, let alone a motivational speaker," Leonard tells me while his assistant irons his jeans. 'When I ramble," Hunter told me, "hit me in the leg!" Every plane had been grounded, including the one stuck on the tarmac with an increasingly inebriated Hunter Thompson trapped inside. But by far the most all-consuming task was booking gigs for Hunter Thompson. Just before a debate with G. Gordon Liddy at Brown University, Hunter demanded that Betsy Berg, whom I now worked alongside at GTN, score him some crystal meth.

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