Commodities at a Glance

The series, Commodities at a Glance, aims to collect, present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format. This edition is specifically dedicated to the issue on Coffee in East Africa.

The series “Commodities at a Glance” aims to collect, present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format. This issue of “Commodities at a Glance” explores the economic, social and environmental relevance of the gum arabic sector, with a focus on supply, demand, prices and market organization. Gum arabic is the most commercially valuable exudate gum, with wide applications in industries as diverse as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and printing. The gum is produced primarily in arid wooded savannas in sub-Saharan Africa, and consumed predominantly by manufacturers in developed and emerging economies. Due to its potential to generate foreign exchange reserves, ensure food security, promote sustainable agriculture and forestry, and combat desertification and climate change, gum arabic is a promising commodity for a number of African countries. However, in order to overcome the current uneven distribution of economic gains along the gum arabic value chain, producing countries must increase local processing and ensure higher compensation for resource-poor gum collectors.

The series “Commodities at a Glance” aims to collect, present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format. Given the recent record rises in cotton prices and wider commodity price volatility, this edition of Commodities at a glance (n°2), will focus on the world cotton industry, with a special emphasis on African cotton producing countries. The cotton sector in Africa is critical to the provision of sustainable rural livelihoods and the economic development of these countries. This issue of Commodities at a glance with its focus on the African cotton sector has been prepared for the Pan-African Cotton Meeting in June 2011, in Cotonou (Benin).

The series “Commodities at a Glance” aims to collect, present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format. This issue of Commodities at a Glance focuses on the global food security, price volatility and continuing high food prices.