Food prices rose 1.9% in August, FAO says

Global food prices rose 1.9 percent in August from July as drought and conflicts affected commodity markets, UN Food and Agricultural Organization data showed Friday.

The FAO food price index was 2.5 percent higher than in August 2025. The increase accelerated from July, when prices rose 0.6 percent over the month and one percent over the year.

Sugar prices rose 11.9 percent, reaching their highest level since June 2025. Europe faced exceptional heat this summer, reducing crop yields, while the El Nino climate phenomenon threatens production in Asia.

Wheat prices rose 15 percent from a year earlier, partly because of what the FAO called "persistent disruptions to Black Sea export logistics" linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The FAO also said concerns over input supplies after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz supported maize prices, which climbed 2.5 percent.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Middle East war has pushed up fuel prices and cut off a major source of fertiliser supplies, adding to concerns over longer-term supply and price pressures.