Global Food Prices Tick Higher After Five Months of Decline

Global food prices rose slightly in the latest FAO Food Price Index as vegetable oils, cereals, and meat increased, offsetting declines in dairy and sugar.

NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — After five straight months of decline, the FAO Food Price Index, released on Friday morning, shows increases in several areas. The overall index gained just under one percent.

Cereals, meats, and vegetable oils all saw gains, offsetting declines in dairy and sugar. Sugar saw the largest decline at 4.1 percent, hitting the lowest level since October 2020.

The vegetable oil index saw the largest gain, up 3.3 percent on the month.

Cereals gained 1.1 percent while the meat index rose 0.8 percent.

Related Stories
Low farmer shares reflect deep consolidation across the food chain, keeping producer returns thin even as retail food prices remain high.
Tyson’s Nebraska plant closure and falling Cattle on Feed numbers send cattle markets tumbling. Analysts warn of tighter supplies, weak margins, and rising global competition.
A regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture, prepared by RFD-TV Markets Specialist Tony St. James, for the week of Monday, November 24, 2025.
According to November’s Cattle on Feed Report, Nebraska now leads the nation in cattle feeding as tighter supplies continue to reshape regional market power and long-term price dynamics.
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
Lower U.S. and Mexican production means tighter sugar supplies and greater reliance on imports headed into 2026.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) are praising the passage of a bill to delist gray wolves as an endangered species by the U.S. House last week.
Recent USDA export sales data show China has been active in the U.S. market, but analysts tell RFD-TV News that the timing is a key clue.
USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg told RFD-TV News that we can only guess what Congress will do down the road. Still, the USDA recognizes its responsibility to spend resources efficiently and effectively.
Tight feeder supplies and lower placements indicate continued support for the cattle market, with regional impacts heightened in Texas by reduced feeder imports.
National Land Realty’s Jeramy Stephens shares his outlook on farmland market trends, which remain under close watch as new federal assistance programs roll out — with experts analyzing potential impacts on land values, buying, and stability.
Michelle Perez shares more about the American Farmland Trust’s resource to help farmers and producers plan soil health improvements.