Global Food Prices Rise After Five-Month Decline
Global food prices increased in February 2026 for the first time in five months, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, averaged 125.3 points in February, rising 0.9% from 124.2 points in January. Despite the increase, the index remained 1% lower than a year earlier and nearly 22% below its peak in March 2022.
The rise was mainly driven by higher prices of cereals, meat and vegetable oils, which offset declines in dairy and sugar prices. The vegetable oil price index climbed 3.3%, with palm and soy oil seeing the largest gains, while cereal prices rose 1.1%, including a 1.8% increase in wheat prices due to weather risks in Europe and the United States and logistical disruptions in the Black Sea region.
Meat prices increased 0.8%, supported by strong demand for beef in the US and China and record prices for sheep meat. Meanwhile, dairy prices fell 1.2% due to lower cheese prices in the European Union, and sugar prices declined 4.1% amid expectations of ample global supply. The FAO also revised its 2025 global cereal production forecast to a record 3.029 billion metric tonnes, and projected a global cereal stocks-to-use ratio of 31.9% by the end of the 2026 season.
Source: Dairynews7x7 8th March, 2026 Read full story here
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