FAO Food Price Index: Global food prices have dropped more than 10% since last October

The FAO Food Price Index for October 2023 is out. Where do global food prices stand, and which categories saw the largest gains?

picnic summer food_adobe stock.png

Adobe Stock

This month’s FAO Food Price Index is out. The index measures the monthly change in the price of food commodities around the globe. Where do global food prices stand, and which categories saw the largest gains?

The FAO Food Prince Index for October was down 0.5 percent from September, and almost 11 percent below this time last year.

Most categories were down, following a recent trend that started about a year ago. This comes with declines in sugar, cereals, vegetable oils, and meat.

Here are some key takeaways from this month’s report:

  • Dairy saw an increase, up 2.2 percent, but still around 20 percent off a year ago.
  • The cereal price index was down one percent.
  • Vegetable oil was down to 0.7.
  • Meat was down 0.6 percent, and sugar fell 2.2 percent.
Related Stories
RFD-TV’s farm legal expert, Roger McEowen, digs into the details of both the LRP and the LGM programs, two essential risk management tools for cattle producers.
Persistently low Mississippi River levels are turning logistics challenges into pricing risks — tightening margins for grain producers and exporters across the heartland.
Firm live cow prices and shifting dairy-side culling suggest cull cow values may stay stronger than usual this winter despite weaker cow beef cutout trends.

Marion is a digital content manager for RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel. She started working for Rural Media Group in May 2022, adding a decade of experience in the digital side of broadcast media and some cooking experience to the team.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is helping connect veterans with resources to pursue careers in farming and agriculture.
USMEF’s Jay Theiler discusses his leadership role in representing U.S. beef and pork and provides an update on this week’s conference in Indianapolis.
Manure from a hog farm is more than just waste; it is also becoming a key renewable resource for operations.
As economic pressures continue to squeeze agriculture, ag lenders are signaling a more cautious outlook for farm profitability heading into next year, particularly among grain producers facing lower commodity prices and higher operating costs.
Longtime MLF pro angler Fred “Boom Boom” Roumbanis shares how he and Jeff Sprague of Team YETI are preparing for the Team Series Summit Cup.
USDA released the November WASDE Report on Friday, the first supply-and-demand estimate to drop since September, just before the 43-day government shutdown.