Global food costs ascend to peak not seen in two years, according to the United Nations
The food price index, a key indicator of global food costs, has been significantly affected by inflation and geopolitical events such as Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. This has resulted in notable fluctuations and a generally elevated price level in recent years.
Key points on the effects:
- In July 2025, the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) rose to 130.1 points, a 1.6% increase from June 2025. The increase was primarily driven by higher prices in meat and vegetable oils, while prices for cereals, dairy, and sugar declined slightly.
- Despite this recent increase, the index remains 18.8% below its March 2022 peak, a period that coincided closely with the escalation of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
- Since March 2022, when the food price index peaked at 160 points, prices have declined but remain elevated—about 7.6% higher than July 2024 and roughly 35% above the 2019 average.
- Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 caused an immediate surge in food prices due to disruptions in global grain exports from Ukraine and a spike in energy prices affecting food production and distribution costs.
- The Black Sea Grain Initiative helped partially restore Ukraine’s export capacity, easing some pressure on global food prices, but ongoing geopolitical tensions keep supply uncertain, maintaining elevated prices for key commodities like vegetable oils and grains from the region.
- Inflationary pressures across the economy continue to influence food prices, with higher interest rates, energy costs, and labor market constraints contributing to the overall price level.
Impact on low-income individuals' access to healthy diets:
- Rising food prices directly reduce affordability of nutritious foods for low-income populations, forcing many to cut back on diverse and healthy food options such as fresh vegetables, meats, and oils.
- When essential food prices rise, low-income households often substitute cheaper, less nutritious items, increasing food insecurity and the risk of malnutrition.
- Slow or uneven declines in prices for staple cereals and some dairy products may provide limited relief, but the overall elevated food price environment exacerbates economic hardship for vulnerable groups.
In summary, inflation combined with geopolitical shocks like Russia's military actions in Ukraine have caused spikes and sustained higher global food prices, significantly impacting food affordability. This disproportionately affects low-income people by limiting their access to a healthy diet due to increased costs of essential nutritious foods such as meat and vegetable oils.
- The spikes in global food prices, primarily due to inflation and geopolitical events like Russia's military operation in Ukraine, have indirectly influenced the science of nutrition, as affordable access to nutritious foods such as meat and vegetable oils becomes limited for low-income individuals in health-and-wellness contexts.
- The elevated food prices, partly resulting from geopolitical shocks and inflation, have created a challenging environment for health-and-wellness, as the cost of essential nutritious foods like meat and vegetable oils becomes inaccessible to many low-income individuals, affecting their overall health and well-being.
