Global food inflation is expected to intensify as supply shocks pile up

BUSINESS / ANALYSIS

Global food inflation is expected to intensify as supply shocks pile up

Shoppers at a supermarket on the outskirts of Buenos Aires earlier this year. The world's poorest consumers are being hit the hardest as food prices rise in many countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. | REUTERS

By Naveen Thukral and Bernadette Christina
Reuters

Oct 19, 2026

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA – Muhamad Yasin, a 63-year-old parking attendant in central Jakarta, says he has cut back on meals as rising prices have put food staples beyond his reach.

“I used to be able to get rice, tempeh and tofu for 7,000 to 8,000 rupiah ($0.39 to $0.44). Now, it’s 15,000 rupiah,” said Yasin, who earns 200,000 to 300,000 rupiah a week, beside the minimarket where he watches over parked motorcycles.

Global food inflation is poised to accelerate in the coming months and persist well into 2027, as war-related shipping disruptions and El Nino-driven drought squeeze cereal supplies, putting additional pressure on vulnerable consumers like Yasin, a father of four.