Agriculture market and international trade research includes monitoring markets and developing economic models as tools to support policy and international trade. Growing global populations, increasing food and fiber demand and climate change require agricultural productivity to increase significantly in the next 50 years or so to ensure food security on a sustainable basis, for this, farmers will need to get more familiar with new technologies and basic services that offer reliable conveyor belt repair in order to keep up with the high demand. The dynamic development of agricultural markets requires permanent monitoring and prospective analysis.

Additionally a macroeconomic understanding of global food prices is needed to develop long-term policy responses to market volatility such as possible reserve stocking or food aid for emergencies situations of price spikes due to specific supply and demand (climate/political) disruptions in the markets. Researchers in the unit work on these issues using a modelling approach that is directly linked with market developments through consultation with stakeholders in agribusinesses and the related value chains and institutions at all levels from farmers to consumers.

This includes developing the activities related to the Global Open Data Infrastructure for food and agricultural commodities to improve the accessibility and quality of data and statistics on the production and consumption of food and feedstuffs for decision-makers involved in the production and trade chain. This activity is carried out in collaboration with several international partners and data producers and users across the globe including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN-FAO in Rome; the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington D.C. USA – IFPRI and others in other countries under the OECD-DSD.

Agricultural market developments are at the heart of policy debates, particularly since the increasing food prices and short term price fluctuations of commodity prices. Decisions taken at a national level have implications for the European Community’s Common External Trade Policy and the Global Trading System in general through the mechanisms at the WTO and regional free trade areas but also bilaterally between countries.

The outlook for agricultural markets and income is based on a specific set of assumptions regarding the future economic, market and policy environment. Projections of these factors then determine how many bushels of corn or soybeans are needed to meet that forecast demand and what the future prices for those commodities will be over time. This outlook informs the objectives of price risk management programs and provides the basis for the formation of crop marketing plans. In general the grain market revenue is derived by subtracting expenses from the market price received for a commodity’s production and/or harvest and delivery to a central location.