The United Nations reported [10]on Aug. 7 that the cost of key foods increased in July as a result of searing heatwaves and ongoing geopolitical instability, which have affected global energy prices amid persistent hunger risks in multiple countries.
According to the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Food Price Index (FPI) averaged [11]131.1 points in July 2026, representing an increase of one percent in the cost of a basket of staple foods compared to 2025, with millions of people experiencing hunger and food insecurity despite slight improvements in harvests. This situation is attributed to recurrent heatwaves [12], described as a global human rights emergency; the effects of El Niño [13] on harvests; and growing uncertainty [14] resulting from geopolitical tensions, which have not only resulted in an oil crisis but also disrupted global supply chains.
The FAO added that increases in price indices included those of cereals, sugar and vegetable oils, while price indices for meat and dairy products declined. The organization detailed that the cereal price index surged by 3.4 percent from June, reversing the declines seen in 2025. Additionally, global wheat prices rose by 5.8 percent due to persistent disruptions [16]to Black Sea exports, which are linked to both the impact of heatwaves on crop yields as well as the war between Ukraine and Russia.
The FAO also noted the the vegetable oil price index reached its highest price since 2022, which is linked to demand from Indonesia’s biodiesel sector and higher crude oil prices.
Furthermore, the UN highlighted that although some progress in reducing hunger levels has been seen in countries such as Malawi, nearly 1.9 million people still live in crisis levels of acute food insecurity, classified as Phase 3 under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) [17].
Finally, experts raised concerns about the future developments of global food prices given the existence of numerous factors that are expected to exacerbate the situation, including inflation, below-average staple production, and forecasts of El Niño effects during the 2026-2027 rainy season.
Many nations worldwide—from Afghanistan [18] to Djibouti [19] to Honduras [20]—are experiencing food insecurity [21] due to two main factors, identified as armed conflicts [22] and climate change, placing the lives of millions of people at risk. In June, the UN warned [23]that the rapidly deteriorating health of the ocean poses threats to human health and well-being due to its impacts on biodiversity and food security.
There has been a growing concern about the environmental impacts [24]of the daily use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, given massive energy and water demands by data centers in a world already struggling with water scarcity as well as the environmental consequences [25]of extractive activities.
Despite the adoption [26]of a UN resolution confirming member states’ obligations to combat climate change, there have been increasing calls for accountability of all entities involved in environmental crimes. Last month, a South American multinational law enforcement campaign resulted [27]in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of illicit assets in minerals and livestock.
Hunger in the Global South has already been exacerbated by Trump's trade tariffs regime, while spikes in the price of oil and grain since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 have contributed to popular privation and unrest worldwide.
From JURIST [28], Aug. 8. Used with permission.
See our reports on the global food crisis [29] and the 2024 El Niño [30].
