75% of what consumers pay for food is added after it leaves the farm. So why do governments continue to focus only on what happens on the farm? Shifting focus from production to value chains will reduce losses, strengthen markets, and lower the cost of healthy diets. #SOFI2026

ODA remains an essential source of financing. But future progress will depend on countries’ ability to mobilize private investment and other sources of capital. My conversation with @foodtank.bsky.social’s Dani Nierenberg. youtu.be/F5BhI-uI5mg?...

Maximo Torero on the Rising Cost of a Healthy Diet

YouTube video by Food Tank

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Countries that have reduced hunger have invested in both social protection and agricultural productivity. School meals are an excellent example of social protection. When they include diverse, nutritious foods, they improve children's health and future productivity. #SOFI2026

The biggest cost of healthy diets come after food leaves the farm. Lowering their cost means investing in infrastructure and technology -- like cold chain, rural roads and seeds -- alongside policies that improve markets and trade. #SOFI2026 youtu.be/-WL3E7wQubo?...

SOFI Launch Technical Presentation -- Rome -- 21 July 2026

YouTube video by Maximo Torero

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Three years of progress against hunger is encouraging. But the recovery is fragile under pressure of compound shocks like geopolitical fracture and weather extremes. Building resilient agrifood systems is essential to protecting the gains. #SOFI2026 bit.ly/3Rtvken

UN report: Global hunger levels ease for third consecutive year as regional disparities persist

The 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) also examines the cost of healthy diets

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🎙️ New episode is out! #SOFI2026 shows that future progress against hunger will depend on how well countries prepare for compound risks, such as climate extremes and geopolitical tension. Full interview with @fao.org Chief Economist @maximotorero.bsky.social: https://youtu.be/tpJDrG4j0aw #ElNiño

Hunger is declining, but progress is uneven and fragile. Additionally, 1/3 of world's population still can't afford a healthy diet. #SOFI2026 helps countries understand why healthy diets cost so much and what to do about it. Read: doi.org/10.4060/cd83...

Global hunger declined in 2025, demonstrating that improvement is possible, but 645 million people are still hungry & 1 in 3 people cannot afford #HealthyDiets. @fao.org Chief Economist @maximotorero.bsky.social explains the main findings of #SOFI2026. Report: https://doi.org/10.4060/cd8306en

The #SOFI2026 report's projections incorporate the expected impact of the Strait of Hormuz crisis. Fertilizer shortages are jeopardizing harvests, and impacts could follow within 3-6 months. El Niño could intensify them. @fao.org flagship SOFI 2026 is out on 21 July. webtv.un.org/en/asset/k13...

Máximo Torero Cullen (FAO) on the high cost of a healthy diet and the upcoming State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 2026 - Press Conference

Press Conference by Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He briefed journalists on the high cost of a healthy diet and what to expect from the upcom...

webtv.un.org

A healthy diet costs 25% more than it did 5 years ago. 1/3 of global population can't afford it. The cost of a healthy diet shows where agrifood systems investments can have the greatest impact. Watch the highlights before the launch on 12 July: webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k...

Women make up 42% of the global agrifood workforce but continue to face unequal access to land, credit, technology and opportunities. The new FAO Statistics Gender in Agrifood Systems domain provides data to make women's contribution visible: www.fao.org/faostat/en/#... 📷FAO / Fanjan Combrink

Global food markets recover quickly from shocks but resulting food price spikes threaten food security. Countries can build resilience by integrating into global markets and diversifying trade connections. #SOCO2026 Watch: youtu.be/X4tcMkJQnfI Read: doi.org/10.4060/cd83...

AI and digital technologies can transform agrifood systems, producing more food with fewer resources. But innovation succeeds only if it reaches everyone. Inclusion, governance, and investment will decide whether this revolution narrows inequality or deepens it. (Graph: WDR 2019)

Agriculture's future growth will come from greater efficiency, not higher prices. That means productivity must also be resilient -- through better data, smarter diagnostics, precision agriculture & resilient trade systems. #AgOutlook youtu.be/mCLKIfm78aM

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2026-2035 Launch - Intervention

YouTube video by Maximo Torero

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El Niño is no longer just a climate risk but a macroeconomic one, driving higher food prices and inflation. Combined with disruptions to energy and fertilizer markets from the Middle East conflict, it could become a major risk multiplier for global food security.

Social protection is more than a safety net. It helps prevent deeper crises. Evidence also shows that every $1 transferred can generate more than $2 in the local economy. Social protection is an underrated tool for development. Watch the full podcast episode: tinyurl.com/2vmju4fc

Fertilizer supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict are pushing countries to make fertilizer security a strategic priority, @FAO analysis shows. The challenge is to manage shortages while building resilience through targeted, temporary measures and innovation.

The Gulf is not only an energy hub. It's also a major remittance hub. Remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $685 billion in 2024, supporting nearly one billion people. Prolonged instability in the Gulf could weaken these flows, with consequences for food security and livelihoods.

Urea prices, up 56% immediately after the Strait of Hormuz blockade began, have returned near pre-conflict levels. But the price decline may be a warning sign as farmers cut fertilizer use. Combined with a likely El Niño, this could reduce yields and push up food prices in 2027.

Food crises start before hunger. @fao.org's Risk Monitor tracks climate, conflict, food prices, biological threats, macroeconomic risks and food insecurity in real time to help countries act early, not react later. One platform. Many partners. No duplication. youtu.be/_fHQoRAgBD0

Inside FAO's Risk Monitor: From Risk Detection to Anticipatory Action

YouTube video by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Food security still depends on fossil fuels. Millions of farmers rely on diesel irrigation, and fertilizer production depends on natural gas. Clean energy investments can help build more resilient agrifood systems. maximotorero.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is a reminder of 2007-08, when overlapping shocks combined with biofuel mandates amplified food price inflation. Today, with fertilizer markets under pressure, protecting food production must come first. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

Alternative Mechanisms to Reduce Food Price Volatility and Price Spikes: Policy Responses at the Global Level

Agricultural markets and food prices are no longer as stable and predictable as they had been. After decades of gradually falling food prices, the world is experiencing a period of price spikes and ra...

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Top priority for policymakers right now is to protect their most vulnerable populations through temporary, targeted programs, especially in rural areas. The Work We Do episode on #StraitOfHormuz crisis w/ @fao.org Chief Economist @maximotorero.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/4tPCiaC #InCaseYouMissedIt

Agriculture runs on diesel, leaving farmers vulnerable to oil price shocks. Solar irrigation & cleaner grids can boost productivity & resilience. The Work We Do episode on #StraitOfHormuz crisis with @fao.org Chief Economist @maximotorero.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/4tPCiaC #InCaseYouMissedIt

The global food crisis resulting from the Iran war has already begun

Maximo Torero@maximotorero.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is the latest reminder that as shocks become the norm, countries must build resilience rather than respond to each crisis in isolation. My latest in @weforum.org: www.weforum.org/stories/2026...

[Opinion] #IranWar: The #Hormuz crisis is not Covid. #Europe must avoid blanket subsidies. Subsidising the shock and waiting for it to pass will not answer a crisis whose full impact still is not visible. By @maximotorero.bsky.social | Euractiv www.euractiv.com/opinion/the-...

The Hormuz crisis is not Covid. Europe must avoid blanket subsidies | Euractiv

Subsidising the shock and waiting for it to pass will not answer a crisis whose full impact still is not visible

euractiv.com

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is the latest reminder that as shocks become the norm, countries must build resilience rather than respond to each crisis in isolation. My latest in @weforum.org: www.weforum.org/stories/2026...

The next food crisis is already in motion

The latest Chief Economists’ Outlook cites ‘grave concerns’ about disrupted food production due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Here's what we can do now to avoid the worst possible consequenc...

weforum.org

Our agrifood systems produce enough calories but not enough nutrition. Unhealthy foods are cheap b/c their real costs are not included; healthy foods remain under-supported. This episode of The Work We Do explains how @fao.org helps make healthy foods accessible for everyone. youtu.be/RSM31aDFY24

Infrastructure is not only about growth. Recent crises have shown it also determines resilience. Diversified ports, stronger logistics & cleaner rural energy are not only investments in development but keep agrifood systems functioning when shocks hit. Our full recommendations: tinyurl.com/tpjbamkh

Farmers are already making decisions based on higher energy and fertilizer costs, which means lower future food supply and higher prices. I spoke with @npr.org All Things Considered about how #StraitOfHormuz blockade is setting the stage for a food crisis within 6-12 months. tinyurl.com/4d4vz3e3

Severe global food crisis could come within the year, says UN agency

Maximo Torero, Chief Economist at The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, warns that the war in Iran is choking the global supply of fertilizer and a food crisis could follow with...

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