FAO
Updated
What it is
The Food and Agriculture Organization is a United Nations agency focused on global food security, agriculture and nutrition. It publishes the monthly FAO Food Price Index (FFPI), a widely watched gauge that tracks international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities across cereals, vegetable oils, dairy, meat and sugar.
Why it matters lately
The FFPI rose to 133.3 points in August 2026 (released September 4, 2026), up 1.9 percent from July and the highest reading since November 2022, with FAO citing hot, dry weather in Europe and disrupted Black Sea shipping. The index rose further to 136.0 points in September 2026 (released October 2, 2026), up 1.5 percent from the revised August level and 5.8 percent above a year earlier.
Asymmetric Analytics view
Inference (AA): The FAO Food Price Index's acceleration through August-September 2026 is a core input to AA's food/fertilizer inflation thesis tied to the 2026 Iran war and disrupted trade logistics.