The Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) is a G20 initiative to enhance food market transparency and encourage coordination of policy action in response to market uncertainty. The initial focus of AMIS is on four grains that are particularly important in international food markets, namely wheat, maize, rice and soybeans.
AMIS seeks to strengthen collaboration and dialogue among main producing, exporting and importing countries. Apart from G20 members plus Spain, participants in AMIS include seven major producing, consuming and exporting countries of commodities covered by AMIS. Together, these countries represent a large share of global production, demand and trade volumes of the targeted crops, typically in the range of 80-90 percent. In addition, AMIS reaches out to other key stakeholders in international food markets such as commodity associations and institutional investors in commodity markets.
With effect from October 2012 the International Grains Council (IGC) joined the AMIS Secretariat. This follows close collaboration with the IGC since the launch of AMIS in September 2011. The IGC becomes the tenth member of the AMIS Secretariat, which already includes the following international organizations and entities: FAO, IFPRI, IFAD, OECD, UNCTAD, the UN High Level Task Force (UN-HLTF), the World Bank, WFP, and WTO.
AMIS is structured around five main pillars that are interlinked and mutually reinforcing:
~ Market Monitor tracks current and expected future trends in international food markets, including policy developments and other market drivers, and detects conditions that warrant the attention of policy makers.
~ Analyses examine topical issues affecting international food markets, such as futures exchanges, energy markets and price transmission, and refine methodologies and indicators to support effective analyses.
~ Statistics assemble the latest and most reliable data on production, trade, utilization and stocks for the commodities currently covered by AMIS.
~ Capacity Development provides the foundation for improved statistical information from AMIS participating countries by defining best practices and methodologies to be applied as well as by strengthening national capacities through training sessions and technical workshops.
~ Outreach and Policy Dialogue focus on disseminating key market information and analysis to guide policy makers and provide a forum to facilitate policy coordination.
To carry out its functions, AMIS consists of:
~ The Secretariat, involving nine international and inter-governmental organizations with capacity to regularly collect, analyse and disseminate food market information;
~ The Global Food Market Information Group, assembling technical representatives from all AMIS participating countries to provide reliable, accurate, timely and comparable food market data; and
~ The Rapid Response Forum, composed of Senior Officials from capitals of AMIS participating countries to encourage the coordination of policies and the development of common strategies.
Visit the Commodity Section>Market and Price Reports page on Aquafeed.com
Read the October Market Monitor (PDF)
