Conflicts and extreme weather pushing global food prices higher, warns UN

UN food price index rises to four-year high, illustrating impact of war and weather.Published On 4 Sep 20264 Sep 2026Global food prices have hit a four-year high, the United Nations has warned.The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday that its Food Price Index climbed for a third straight month to 133.3 points in August.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2El Nino: A phenomenon supercharged by climate changelist 2 of 2Gulf insecurity fuels US energy dominanceend of listThat pushed the measure to its highest level since late 2022, as wars and weather impact supplies, the agency said.Every category on the index – cereals, vegetable oils, sugar, meat and dairy – rose over the month.FAO chief economist, Maximo Torero, said the rise is being driven by several factors.“Climate shocks, geopolitical tensions and disrupted trade logistics are converging to tighten supply expectations,” he said in a statement.That risk was clearest in sugar, which rose fastest of all the categories tracked, up almost 12 percent from July to its highest point in a year.Cereal prices climbed more than two percent to their highest level in over two years.Wheat and maize both b...