The prices of food increased worldwide in July due to the rise of its international prices meat and vegetable oils, according to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published Friday (8.8.2025).
The FAO food price index increased by 1.6% on a monthly basis, reaching 130.1 points in July, according to the report, with the growth of vegetable oils exceeding 7% and 1.2% in meat.
More specifically, the vegetable oil price index increased sharply by 7.1% on a monthly basis in July, reaching the highest level of the last three years, to 166.8 points.
Prices of palm oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil have contributed to this increase, with palm oil prices growing due to strong global demand and increased competitiveness. The prices of the sunflower have also increased due to the reduction of export supplies to the Black Sea area. On the contrary, the prices of the rails were reduced due to the lack of new supplies in Europe.
The meat price index also increased by 1.2% in July, reaching a new record of 127.3 points. The demand for imports, especially from China and the US, has led to an increase in beef prices and sheep.
The price index of dairy products fell slightly 0.1% since June, reaching 155.3, marking the first fall from April 2024.
“Butter and milk powder prices have declined, reflecting the abundant export supply and the restrained demand for imports, especially from Asia. However, international cheese prices have continued to grow, due to strong demand in Asia and the near East and the reduced export availability in the European Union, “the report said.
The cereal price index also decreased by 0.8% on a monthly basis, reaching 106.5 points in July, while the sugar price index decreased by 0.2% to 103.3 points.
On the other hand, despite the monthly increase, the total food price index remained 18.8% below the highest level it had reached in March 2022, but is still 7.6% higher than July 2024.