ROME, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Increasing trade between countries and developing markets are at the center of the development process, according to the latest edition of the State of Agriculture and Commodity Markets released Wednesday from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The 164-page report provides a detailed overview of the policies and mechanisms that promote sustainable outcomes in global and domestic food markets, whether economic, social, or environmental.

The report is an examination of strategies and institutions that can promote inclusive economic growth while also harnessing the power of markets to contribute toward reaching the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

It also casts light on the role of new technologies and supporting small- and medium-sized farms in developing countries in reinforcing food supply chains and access to them.

According to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, the release of the report comes at a "crucial juncture" for the world as it struggles to limit the coronavirus pandemic.

"The pandemic has clearly shown to us that, in an interconnected world, diseases and the effects of measures taken to contain them spread rapidly over national borders," said Qu, who is a former vice-minister of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.