Global Food Prices Rise to Highest Level in Nearly Four Years, UN Report Shows

Middle East Online

World food prices climbed in September to reach their highest level in almost four years.

World food prices climbed in September to reach their highest level in almost four years, driven by widespread logistical disruptions and heightened agricultural weather concerns, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported.

Rising apprehension over a severe El Niño weather pattern pushed international sugar prices to an 18-month high, while war-induced disruptions to Black Sea shipping lanes drove wheat futures to a three-year peak early last month.

The FAO Food Price Index, which monitors monthly fluctuations in international prices across a broad basket of food commodities, averaged 136.0 points in September—up from a revised 134.0 points in August and marking its highest level since November 2022.

According to the agency, benchmark indices for cereals, sugar, and vegetable oils all posted gains last month, offsetting modest declines in meat and dairy prices.

“We are seeing a persistent and increasingly broad-based build up in global commodity prices, as disruptions in the ‌Strait ⁠of Hormuz and the Black Sea combine with climate shocks, putting pressure on energy, transport and key food commodities,” FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said.

“If sustained, these pressures will soon pass through to consumer food prices, especially in ⁠food and energy import-dependent countries,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, FAO kept its forecast for global cereal production in 2026 almost unchanged at ⁠2.979 billion metric tons, 2.1% below the previous year's peak but still the second-largest harvest on record.

FAO cut its forecast for world ⁠cereal trade in 2026/27 by 0.7% from September, citing lower wheat and maize export expectations due largely to constrained Black Sea shipping routes.



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