Global food prices have climbed to their highest level in five years, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s monthly index, raising alarm among development economists and aid organisations about the deepening food insecurity crisis affecting hundreds of millions of people in lower-income countries.

The FAO Food Price Index rose 4.6% in April, driven by sharp increases in the cost of cereals, vegetable oils, and dairy products. The rise was fuelled by a combination of factors: prolonged drought across key wheat-producing regions in North America and Central Asia, disruptions to shipping routes through the Red Sea, and surging energy prices that have increased the cost of fertiliser production and agricultural logistics.

Ukraine and Russia — between them responsible for roughly a third of global wheat exports — continue to experience conflict-related production and logistics difficulties that have never fully resolved since 2022. Supply shortfalls from these two countries have been only partially offset by increased production in Argentina and Australia, leaving a persistent gap in the global grain market.

For importing nations, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia, the price increases represent a severe fiscal and humanitarian pressure. Several governments have introduced emergency subsidies on staple foods, while others have approached the International Monetary Fund for balance-of-payments support.

The World Food Programme estimates that 282 million people are now experiencing acute food insecurity — a figure that has risen every year for the past four years. Agency officials warned at a press briefing this week that without immediate intervention and improved supply conditions, the number could rise by a further 40 million by the end of 2026. Agricultural economists are calling on wealthy nations to increase food aid commitments and invest in resilient farming systems in vulnerable regions.