These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the CERES platform at ceres.northflow.no, the CERES API, and any associated services (collectively, the “Service”) operated by Northflow Technologies AS (“Northflow”, “we”, “us”). By accessing or using the Service you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
CERES is a research and early warning tool. It is not an operational replacement for IPC field assessments, famine declarations, or humanitarian programme decisions. CERES predictions must not be used as the sole basis for life-affecting operational decisions. See Section 7 for full disclaimer.
CERES provides calibrated probabilistic forecasts of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+). Headline forecasts are issued at national level across 43 high-risk countries, with sub-national (Admin1 and, where available, Admin2) breakdowns, and are updated weekly. The Service includes the public dashboard, the open data downloads, the public REST API, and supporting documentation.
The Service is provided by Northflow Technologies AS, a Norwegian technology company. Norwegian law applies to these Terms.
The Service is available to individuals, organisations, researchers, and humanitarian entities worldwide. The dashboard, the open data downloads and the public API endpoints are free and need no account. Research collaborations are agreed in writing through ceres@northflow.no.
Open data published under CC BY 4.0 may be downloaded, used, adapted, and redistributed, including commercially, with attribution.
We may change or limit the public endpoints with reasonable notice, for example to protect the Service from abuse.
The CERES platform, codebase, and methodology documentation are the intellectual property of Northflow Technologies AS. The underlying open-source components retain their respective licences.
Open data: Prediction outputs published by CERES are licensed under CC BY 4.0. You may use, share, and adapt them freely provided you give attribution: “CERES / Northflow Technologies AS, ceres.northflow.no”.
API outputs: Data returned by the public API, including sensitivity intervals, driver hypotheses, and Admin1 signals, is covered by the same CC BY 4.0 licence.
You agree not to:
CERES is a research and early warning tool. It is not an operational humanitarian authority.
Only the IPC Global Platform, through its established field-based Cadre Harmonisé or IPC Acute Food Insecurity process, has the mandate to classify and declare famine (IPC Phase 5). A CERES Tier I prediction indicates a high statistical probability of reaching IPC Phase 3 or above within 90 days. It is a signal for preparedness and monitoring, not a famine declaration.
CERES predictions are probabilistic estimates based on satellite, conflict, and market data. They carry uncertainty. They may be wrong. They should always be interpreted alongside field intelligence, FEWS NET situation reports, WFP VAM assessments, and direct humanitarian expertise.
Northflow Technologies AS accepts no liability for operational decisions made on the basis of CERES outputs, including but not limited to pre-positioning, funding allocation, evacuation, or programme design decisions.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Northflow Technologies AS and its officers, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months prior to the claim, or NOK 1,000, whichever is greater.
We aim to maintain high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The weekly pipeline runs on a best-effort basis. Scheduled maintenance, infrastructure incidents, or upstream data source outages may cause delays or gaps in predictions. We communicate significant outages via the changelog.
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to the Service, with or without notice, if you violate these Terms or engage in conduct that is harmful to the platform, other users, or third parties. Holders of an earlier paid plan receive a pro-rata refund for any remaining prepaid period.
These Terms are governed by Norwegian law. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Norwegian courts, with Oslo District Court as the agreed venue of first instance.
If you are a consumer in the EU/EEA, you retain the right to bring claims before the courts of your country of residence.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes are published on this page at least 14 days before taking effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
For questions about these Terms:
Northflow Technologies AS
Jåttåveien 92
4020 Stavanger
Norway
+47 95 08 50 45
ceres@northflow.no