Despite ongoing trade tensions, global agricultural commodity markets remain well supplied in 2025, according to discussions at a recent meeting involving several international organizations and countries. The positive supply situation has been attributed to favorable weather conditions in key producing regions.
The two-day meeting brought together representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Bank, World Food Programme (WFP), and member countries of the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). AMIS includes G20 members, Spain, and eight other major agricultural exporters and importers. Collectively, these participants account for about 80-90% of global production, consumption, and trade volumes of staple crops such as wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans.
Edwini Kessie, Director of the World Trade Organization's Agriculture and Commodities Division, opened the meeting by highlighting AMIS’s role. "Today, the global policy landscape for food and agriculture is going through a period of unusually pronounced turbulence and volatility," he said. "It is precisely at times like this that the work of AMIS is so very valuable, both to policy makers and market actors." Kessie also noted that the WTO supports AMIS through regular policy monitoring in collaboration with organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other members of the AMIS Secretariat. "The WTO strongly supports the work of AMIS in strengthening transparency on global agriculture commodity markets, with a view to improving food security," he added.
Donald Boucher from Canada, Chair of AMIS, stated that governments and market participants now widely recognize the platform’s contributions. "As AMIS was created during the food price hikes of 2007-08, we understand that the area's most at risk of food insecurity feel the effects of price volatility the most. Therefore, AMIS's role as an inter-agency platform to facilitate multilateral collaboration and market transparency, while supporting informed policy development, is crucial for global food security efforts," Boucher said.
AMIS was established after significant increases in food prices during 2007-08 to help address risks associated with price volatility by fostering cooperation among major players in agricultural markets.
More information about AMIS can be found here.