Book excerpt: FAO’s latest forecasts point to increased production and higher stocks for several basic foodstuffs. However, global food production remains susceptible to shocks arising from weather conditions, geopolitical tensions, and policies. These factors could disrupt the delicate balance between supply and demand, impacting global food security. Issued twice a year, the June issue of the Food Outlook offers FAO’s reviews of market supply and demand trends for the world’s major foodstuffs, namely cereals, oilcrops, sugar, meat, dairy and fish. It also looks at trends in food import bills, Ocean freight rates, international food prices and futures markets. The Markets and Trade Division of FAO, as part of the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), produces and publishes the Food Outlook to enhance transparency in global food markets. Concerning global cereal markets, the Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with the quarterly GIEWS publication Crop Prospects and Food Situation. Food Outlook is available in English. The summary section is available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.