Farmers warn of skyrocketing food prices as supplies decrease worldwide: 'Concerns over ... tighter global supplies'
Your grocery bill might be getting steeper. Global food prices rose in February, with sugar, dairy, and vegetable oil costs leading the upward trend, as reported by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.
The FAO's Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international food commodity prices, hit 127.1 points in February.
That's 1.6% higher than January and 8.2% above last year's February level.
Sugar prices jumped 6.6% after three straight months of falling, reaching 118.5 points. The FAO points to "concerns over likely tighter global supplies for the 2024/25 season, particularly due to declining production prospects in India and adverse weather conditions affecting crops in Brazil."
Dairy costs increased 4.0%, while vegetable oil prices rose 2.0% — a whopping 29.1% higher than this time last year. Cereal prices increased slightly (0.7%), while meat prices mainly remained flat.
When our planet overheats, our wallets feel the heat, too. Weather extremes linked to rising temperatures directly affect food production, pushing grocery prices upward.
The current spike in sugar prices shows how vulnerable crops are to unusual weather patterns. When Brazil's sugarcane faces harsh conditions and India's production falls, everyone pays more at checkout lanes worldwide.
For families already stretching their budgets, these increases make putting food on the table harder. Higher dairy and vegetable oil costs affect everyday staples like cheese, milk, cooking oils, and margarine — basics that most households use daily.
The entire food supply chain feels the rising costs of the commodities. They eventually hit your local supermarket shelves with higher price tags.
Start by buying seasonal produce when it's most abundant and affordable. Foods in peak season often cost less and taste better.
What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home?
Not enough time
Not enough space
It seems too hard
I have a garden already
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Consider plant-based protein alternatives, which typically cost less than animal products and require fewer resources to produce. Beans, lentils, and tofu are budget-friendly nutritional options.
Growing some of your own food, even just herbs on a windowsill, can trim grocery bills while giving you access to fresh ingredients.
Meal planning based on sales and what's already in your pantry minimizes waste and maximizes your dollar.
Supporting local farmers through markets or CSA programs often provides fresher food while helping build a more resilient local food system less affected by global price swings.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine's state hydropower operator plans post-war recovery of Kakhovka hydroelectric dam
Ukrhydroenergo, Ukraine's state-owned hydropower operator, is prepared to begin rebuilding the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), destroyed by Russia, as soon as the war ends, though it is cautious about investing in projects that may not be implemented. Source: Bohdan Sukhetskyi, acting General Director of Ukrhydroenergo, as reported by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne Quote: "We have a clear understanding of the preparatory work, including the routes for machinery, the placement of communications and the construction of a temporary dam. If feasible and in line with procedures, the company is ready to commence work." Details: He added that "we've created a 3D model of the Kakhovka reservoir and mapped its bottom and relief to the centimetre, so we know precisely how the reservoir will be filled." Sukhetskyi noted that with average inflows from the Pivdennyi Buh and Desna rivers, filling the Kakhovka reservoir to its design capacity will take over 18 months. Quote: "The company is collaborating with global firms specialising in hydroelectric power plant construction. Several partnership memoranda have been signed and partners are ready to contribute to construction and design and provide modern technologies, offer innovative solutions and even invest." Background: On the morning of 6 June 2023, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. According to the United Nations, the damage caused amounts to US$14 billion. On 18 July 2023, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers (government) approved a resolution for an experimental project titled Construction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Complex on the Pivdennyi Buh River. It was previously reported that rebuilding the Kakhovka HPP will take at least seven years. Repairing the plant itself will require several years, with an additional 2-3 years to fill the reservoir. Further time will be needed to repair and restore canals and irrigation systems built in the 1970s and 1990s. Ukrhydroenergo estimates that the rebuilding of this complex hydroelectric facility will take at least five years. European Pravda obtained an explanatory note to the draft government decree, detailing the specific requirements for rebuilding the Kakhovka HPP. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump is forcing US allies to cobble together a post-America world order
As President Trump and his allies dismantle the global system America once championed, the rest of the world faces a choice: either brace for chaos and kiss the ring, or forge, at least temporarily, a new order that promotes democratic principles but largely excludes the U.S. while leaving the door open for a future, less-bullying America to return. This would have been unthinkable not long ago. But Trumpism's assault on two essential pillars of the postwar global consensus — multilateralism and liberal democracy — is making it necessary. These pillars helped expand prosperity, reduce war, and uplift billions. They were indispensable in facing challenges like pandemics, cyberterrorism, and climate change. Trump and his imitators seek to replace them with something cruder, based on the reasoning that America is the strongest: economic nationalism and elected autocracy, with each country fending for itself and every man for himself. Multilateralism means sovereign nations working together, within rules-based institutions, to address problems. Trump has rejected this outright. His administration undermined the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the Paris Climate Agreement, and NATO, the very embodiment of the alliance — not to mention the World Health Organization, from which he withdrew against all logic. Though the U.S. dominates NATO militarily, it contributes just 16 percent of the common budget — about the same per capita as Germany — and does not unilaterally control the alliance. This has irked Trump, who has declared NATO 'obsolete,' lied about the U.S. share and shown disdain for its collective commitments. With respect to world trade, Trump's tariff war rests on the notion that imports are somehow inherently harmful. The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimated his tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico would cost the average U.S. household over $1,200 per year. Historically, tariffs have caused major damage. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 worsened the Great Depression by triggering retaliation. Only after World War II, with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and later the World Trade Organization, did global trade recover. Today, international trade exceeds $25 trillion annually and average tariffs are down to 2.5 percent. Trump's unilateralism has threatened all this. These global institutions are part of a bulwark against a return to nationalist chaos. They were created after World War II to prevent World War III. One should recall the maxim about forgetting the lessons of history. Trumpism also redefines democracy as a contest of popularity: You win an election, and you rule without constraint. It dismisses civil liberties, judicial independence, and press freedom. This mirrors the ideologies of Viktor Orban in Hungary, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, Narendra Modi in India, the Law and Justice Party in Poland, and increasingly, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. According to Freedom House — which Trump has undercut by slashing foreign aid — 2024 marked the 19th consecutive year of democratic decline, with rights worsening in 60 countries. This worldview sees rules as weakness and ideals as naïveté. Trump's America doesn't want to lead the world — it wants to dominate or isolate from it. That's a dereliction of the American role in promoting liberty and truth. The appeal of illiberalism is no mystery. Across the world, fascist forces have weaponized wedge issues amplified by social media and simplistic populism. Immigration, for instance, is both an economic necessity and a cultural flashpoint. Progressive overreach, inequality, and instability have fed public anger. But liberal democrats have failed to explain how autocrats actually harm the very people they rally. If Trump's America walks away from its postwar responsibilities, the world should call his bluff. Done wisely, this could help Americans recognize the strategic failures of the populist right. Trump's global strategy involves supporting anti-democratic takeovers around the world. Now, core NATO countries are boosting defense spending and cooperation, anticipating that U.S. leadership can no longer be counted on. If Trump pulls out, a new alliance may emerge. But other possibilities — economic and political — are just as vital. One idea is a broad, low-tariff economic bloc of countries committed to not weaponizing trade. They could cap tariffs at 10 percent, resolve disputes through arbitration, and signal that interdependence still matters. This bloc wouldn't need to exclude non-democracies. It might include the EU, UK, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Chile — even China or India, if they play by the rules. When Trump abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership, its remaining members formed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, now covering 15 percent of global GDP. Although the U.S. alone accounts for about 10 percent of global exports and 13 percent of imports, it is not irreplaceable. A united bloc would render bilateral extortion tactics ineffective. The message: we will not be divided and conquered. Another option is an alliance of liberal democracies committed not just to trade, but to civil liberties, press freedom, and minority rights. Think of it as an expanded EU — or what America used to represent. This would exclude countries like Hungary, Turkey, India, and Israel under its current coalition — and possibly also the U.S. under Trump. The alliance could support election security, regulate social media, encourage academic exchanges, and promote joint infrastructure and cybersecurity. It would be a sanctuary for truth in an age of disinformation. It would affirm that democracy is about values, not just elections — and that those values lead to prosperity and legitimacy. This is the fight we are in. If clarity requires sidelining the U.S. for now, so be it. Dan Perry is the former Cairo-based Middle East editor and London-based Europe-Africa editor of the Associated Press, former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, and the author of two books. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Food commodity prices declined in May, led by maize and palm oil
World food commodity prices fell month-on-month in May driven by declines in maize and palm oil prices, despite high butter and bovine meat prices. The FAO Food Price Index, created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, averaged 127.7 points in May, a decline of 0.8% from April. However, the index was 6% higher than its level in May 2024. Of the five commodity groups tracked in the index, prices for vegetable oils, cereals, and sugar fell, while dairy and meat saw increases. The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index dropped 3.7% from April, with all major oils recording lower quotations. 'International palm oil prices declined markedly, primarily due to seasonal output and availability increases in South East Asia. Global soy oil prices were impacted by higher supplies in South America and subdued demand for biofuel feedstock," the UN agency said. today (6 June). "Rapeseed oil prices eased on improved supply prospects in the European Union, while sunflower oil prices fell due to weakening global import demand and reduced price competitiveness." The FAO Cereal Price Index dropped 1.8% from April, standing 8.2% below its May 2024 level. 'Global maize prices declined sharply, owing to strong harvests and robust availability in Argentina and Brazil and expectations of a record crop in the US,' said the FAO. Global wheat prices fell due to better crop conditions in the northern hemisphere, while the FAO All-Rice Price Index rose by 1.4%, 'driven by firm demand for fragrant varieties, higher prices for Indica rice, and currency fluctuations'. The FAO Sugar Price Index decreased by 2.6% in May, primarily due to 'concerns over the uncertain world economic outlook, possible weaker demand from the beverage and food processing industries, and expectations of a recovery in global production next season'. The FAO Dairy Price Index rose by 0.8% in May, 'with strong demand from Asia keeping international butter prices at historic highs and spurring higher prices for cheese and whole milk powder'. The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.3% from its revised April level, driven by 'higher quotations for ovine, pig and bovine meats, with the latter reaching a new historic high'. In contrast, poultry meat prices declined, 'driven by lower quotations in Brazil, where the detection of high-pathogenicity avian influenza on a commercial farm in mid-May prompted import bans by several major importing countries, resulting in surplus supplies', the FAO added. The UN agency also released its latest Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, projecting a "record" global cereal production of 2,911 million tonnes in 2025, a 2.1% increase from 2024. Global cereal utilisation is expected to rise 0.8% in 2025/26 to 2,898 million tonnes, with food consumption growing 0.9% and feed use increasing 0.5%. With production exceeding utilisation, world cereal stocks are forecast to grow 1% to 873.6 million tonnes, recovering from last year's decline. The global stock-to-use ratio will hold steady at 29.8%, the FAO predicted. Global cereal trade is set to rebound 1.9% to 487.1 million tonnes, driven by a 3.8% rise in wheat trade, despite a 0.7% drop in rice trade. "Food commodity prices declined in May, led by maize and palm oil – FAO" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Errore nel recupero dei dati Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati Errore nel recupero dei dati
