The composite
The FAO Food Price Index — five sub-indices (cereals, dairy, meat, vegetable oils, sugar) weighted by trade value, rebased to 2014-2016 = 100 — printed at 130.7 in April 2026. That is +1.6% from March and +5.3% since January.
What's behind it
- Cereals are the standout, up double-digit YTD on tight Black Sea wheat exports
- Vegetable oils climbed on Indonesian palm oil quota restrictions
- Sugar eased on improved Brazilian crop outlook
- Dairy and meat were broadly stable
Cross-checks against USDA WASDE
The May 2026 WASDE (USDA report #671) projects world wheat production for 2025/26 at 799.3 MMT — a slight downward revision from the March projection of 800.43 MMT. World corn at 1232.1 MMT. The supply side is tightening, not loosening, which is consistent with the FFPI direction.
Why we lead with FFPI
For the past 30 years the FFPI has been the most-cited single number when shortage stories enter mainstream discourse. It's monthly, transparent, and the methodology hasn't been re-based since 2020. We track all six sub-indices in /api/v1/measurements?source=FAO-FFPI.
Sources: FAO World Food Situation, USDA WASDE May 2026.