Appropriate trade policies and close international coordination are instrumental in bolstering the resilience of global food markets against increasingly frequent and severe shocks. This is the central message of the State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2026 report published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

The “nightmare” scenario of tens of millions of people falling into hunger due to conflict in the Middle East is at risk of becoming reality, as United Nations statistics show that the number of people facing food insecurity has risen alarmingly.

Although the “fever” of food prices has cooled down globally, food security challenges remain serious for African countries, as drought, unrest and power shortages are still pushing millions of Africans into starvation.

The message of “No one left behind” was chosen as the theme of the 2022 World Food Day (October 16). In the context that global food insecurity has increasingly pushed more people into poverty, the United Nations called on the countries to unite and address the root causes of the current crisis.