FAO response to global food security challenges

in focus

Find information on FAO's responses to current crises and their impact on global food security, including data analyses, policy recommendations, and actions underway on the ground.

16 March, 2026: Updated to include impacts on energy and fertilizer trade, and food security of the 2026 conflict in the Middle East.

FAO Food Price Index posts first rise in five months, driven by higher cereal, meat and vegetable oil prices

news

The FAO Food Price Index* (FFPI) averaged 125.3 points in February 2026, up 1.1 points (0.9 percent) from its revised January level. Increases in the price indices for cereals, meats and vegetable oils more than offset declines in dairy and sugar, resulting in the first rise of the index after five consecutive monthly decreases.

IPPC Pest Outbreak Alert and Response System (POARS)

in focus

The Pest Outbreak Alert and Response Systems (POARS) strengthen global phytosanitary capacity by improving early detection, enabling faster and coordinated responses, and fostering international collaboration to reduce the impact of emerging pests on agriculture, trade, and ecosystems.

New World Screwworm

in focus

New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and occasionally people. Unlike other flies that feed on dead tissue, screwworm larvae can only develop in living flesh, making infestations rapidly destructive.