Background
In 2014, FEWS NET joined an effort with FAO and WFP to define and meet each institution’s product coding needs within the general bounds of a common product coding structure that would guarantee a high level of consistency and comparability among the codes used by these organizations to classify crop production and monitor food prices. In a collaborative report published in 2014 by the UN-based Food Security Information Network1, a common framework and agreement was reached about product coding.
Code structure
This modified product and services coding system based on a well known standard allows FEWS NET to:
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Preserve a link between local product names and descriptions and a more global classification of products, allowing appropriate terminology to be used at each level of discussion/investigation.
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Recognize, group, and distinguish between specific products that play a role in the food security status of a population group or geographic area.
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Differentiate specific crop plants from others on the basis not only of genetic features but also non-genetic features, often locally identified (taste, color, smell, mouth-feel, health benefits, preparation practices, market preferences, etc.).
[1] “Review of Global Food Prices Databases: Overlaps, Gaps and Opportunities to Improve Harmonization”, Food Security Information Network, December 2014
[2] The alpha-numeric code at the beginning of the FEWS NET-derived CPC code serves also to avoid losing the initial “0” which begins many CPC V2 crop codes, when they are used in Excel.
[3] Un-processed crops are meant to refer to the crop plant, as it comes from the field, with no other processing applied to it. Nevertheless, “drying” a crop is not considered a processing operation. The “de-husking” of rice is another notable processing practice which is not considered a “processing” operation.