This report summarises the results of a study of the food security outlook for Southern Africa, highlighting the major threats to food security in the period October 2007 to March 2008. It incorporates the findings from six country outlooks, and aims to provide a basis for regional and global resource allocation and contingency planning, as well as in-country planning.

The following early warning priorities are highlighted:

* in Zimbabwe, food security has deteriorated in most of the country, particularly in the southern and western areas worst affected by drought during the 2006/07 agricultural season. Over the next six months, there is likely to be a worsening of the crisis affecting more and more people, although this could be ameliorated by government imports, international food aid and a normal agricultural season
* in Southern Mozambique, about 520,000 people are currently highly food insecure and in need of immediate humanitarian assistance through March 2008 in even provinces in southern and central Mozambique as a result of weather shocks, including drought and flooding, in early 2007. The situation is expected to improve moderately from October to December and significantly from January to March 2008.
* about 401,200 people in Lesotho and 407,000 in Swaziland are facing high levels of food insecurity as a result of the severe drught during the 2006/07 season and require emergency food assistance until March 2008. Food insecurity is likely to remain widespread through the next six months, but its severity will be mitigated if planned interventions are timely and adequate, and if the 2007/08 rainy season is good and agricultural inputs are accessible to vulnerable farming households.