FAO reports global food price index hits three‑year high in July
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said its Food Price Index rose to 131.1 points in July 2026, a 0.6 % month‑on‑month increase and 1 % above the same month a year earlier, the highest level since January 2023. The cereal price index climbed 3.4 % while wheat prices jumped 5.8 % on concerns over Black‑Sea export disruptions and heat‑wave damage in key producing regions. Maize prices rose 3.6 % driven by hot, dry conditions in the United States. The vegetable‑oil index rose 2 % to its highest level since June 2022, supported by higher crude‑oil prices and strong biodiesel demand. Sugar prices increased 5.6 % as El Niño‑related weather and higher ethanol demand in Brazil pushed costs up. Meat prices fell 2.8 % – the first monthly decline this year – as abundant supply eased pressure. FAO chief economist Máximo Torero warned that wars in Iran and Ukraine together with El Niño create a “perfect storm” of higher costs and lower yields, fueling a new wave of food inflation.
Entities: Bank of England · El Niño · El Niño · European Central Bank · Food and Agriculture Organization · Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) · Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations · Iran · Iran‑Ukraine wars · Máximo Torero · Paul Jackson · Rhine River
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 15 SOURCES] Wheat prices rose 5.8 % in July 2026. (FAO)
- [● 21 SOURCES] Sugar prices rose 5.6 % month‑on‑month in July 2026. (FAO)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Meat prices fell 2.8 % from a record high in June 2026. (FAO)
- [● 15 SOURCES] FAO cereal price index rose 3.4 % month‑on‑month in July. (FAO)
- [● 15 SOURCES] The index was up 0.6 % from June and the highest since January 2023. (FAO)
- [● 21 SOURCES] FAO Food Price Index averaged 131.1 points in July 2026. (FAO)
- [● 21 SOURCES] FAO chief economist Máximo Torero said wars in Iran and Ukraine together with El Niño create a perfect storm driving food inflation. (FAO)
- [● 21 SOURCES] Vegetable‑oil index rose 2 % month‑on‑month in July 2026. (FAO)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Meat prices fell 2.8 % month‑on‑month in July 2026. (FAO)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Wheat prices increased 5.8 % month‑on‑month in July 2026. (FAO)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Vegetable‑oil prices rose 2 % month‑on‑month, the highest since June 2022, driven by biodiesel demand for palm and soy oil and higher crude oil prices. (FAO)
- [● 7 SOURCES] FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) was 131.1 points in July. (FAO)