World food prices climbed in April to their highest level in more than three years, driven largely by sharp increases in vegetable oil prices linked to global energy pressures and disruptions in trade routes.
The increase was reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which said the rise reflects continued pressure across global food commodity markets.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks changes in a basket of globally traded food commodities, rose for a third consecutive month in April to an average of 130.7 points.
This represents a 1.6% increase from March and the highest level since February 2023.
The FAO said the surge was mainly driven by vegetable oil prices, which rose 5.9% month-on-month to their highest level since July 2022.
Vegetable oil markets were affected by increased prices of soy, sunflower, rapeseed, and palm oil, with palm oil further supported by biofuel policy demand.
FAO Chief Economist, Máximo Torero, said energy market conditions are a key driver behind the price increases.
Vegetable oil prices are being driven by elevated energy costs that are, in turn, raising demand for biofuels made using organic materials, such as oil-rich plants.
He added that despite disruptions linked to conflict, global food systems have shown some resilience, particularly in cereal markets.
He said cereal prices increased only modestly due to adequate global supplies from previous harvests.
The FAO reported that cereal prices rose 0.8% from March and 0.4% year-on-year, with slight increases in wheat and maize prices linked to weather concerns, rising fertiliser costs, and growing biofuel demand.
The agency also noted expectations of reduced wheat planting in 2026 as farmers shift away from fertiliser-intensive crops due to rising input costs.
In the meat market, April prices rose 1.2% month-on-month to a record high, driven by limited slaughter-ready cattle in Brazil.
By contrast, sugar prices fell 4.7% due to expectations of strong supply from Brazil, China, and Thailand.
The FAO also revised its global cereal production outlook slightly upward, projecting a record output of 3.040 billion metric tons for 2025. This represents a 6% increase compared to the previous year.
