GIEWS

GIEWS, the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture, is a FAO program that monitors global food security and agricultural conditions. It provides timely information and early warnings on potential food shortages and is used by decision makers, humanitarian actors, and researchers. The system collects data from FAO's global network, national authorities, and partner organizations, and analyzes indicators related to crop production, livestock, prices, trade, and stocks. GIEWS produces country briefs, regional overviews, and global alerts, and maintains an online platform with maps and dashboards illustrating current conditions and trends.

Key outputs include GIEWS Updates, which report on evolving food security conditions; Country Briefs that summarize a country's food security indicators and risks; and Crisis Watch bulletins highlighting countries at risk of acute food insecurity. In addition, GIEWS provides price monitoring and cereal balance sheets, allowing users to assess supply-demand gaps and potential price pressures. The service supports early action by humanitarian agencies and policymakers, enabling targeted responses and resource mobilization.

GIEWS operates as part of FAO's mandate to combat hunger and malnutrition by improving data availability and analysis. While it strives for comprehensive coverage, data gaps and varying reporting quality can affect timeliness and precision. The system complements other food security monitoring initiatives and frameworks, such as FEWSNET and IPC, by providing global-scale data and FAO-specific analyses.