Global Scans · Food & Agriculture · Weekly Summary

• [New] The Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole-grain cereals, has been associated with better cognitive outcomes, increased gray matter volume, and a lower risk of developing MCI and AD, and of converting from MCI to AD (144, 145). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Agriculture experts are expecting a 32% abandonment of winter wheat in the U.S. in 2026. ABC News
• [New] The World Bank now projects fertiliser prices to rise 31% in 2026, with the Food and Agriculture Organisation warning of reduced yields for fertiliser-intensive crops such as wheat, rice and maize if disruption persists. / Qatar Saltus
• [New] Thorpe: Over the next 5-10 years, AI will shift food R&D from a mostly manual, sequential process to a more continuous, constraint-aware, and data-connected process. CNS Media
• [New] Concerns that food inflation could rise again in 2026 continue to shape both consumer behaviour and companies' strategy. FoodNavigator-USA.com
• [New] Investors, through the Valuing Water Finance Initiative, are engaging large companies from four water intensive industries-apparel, beverage, food, and high-tech-on how to understand and address financial risks stemming from their broad water impacts and dependencies. Ceres: Sustainability is the bottom line
• [New] Food and drink inflation could reach at least 9% by the end of the year. The Food & Drink Federation
• [New] USDA sharply raised its outlook for 2026 food inflation, warning that grocery prices and overall food costs are now expected to rise faster than their long-term averages as consumers continue to face pressure from elevated meat and energy costs. Ag Bull Trading
• [New] USDA now forecasts overall food prices to increase 3.4% in 2026, up from a 2.9% estimate in April. Ag Bull Trading
• [New] Supply chain disruption now extends well beyond energy itself, affecting industrial and agriculture production as well as tourism activity across Europe. KPMG
• [New] The Farm Bill must protect the integrity of the National Organic Program and invest a substantial proportion of its funding to support expansion of organic and agroecological systems to 30% of farmland by 2030. NOFA/Mass
• [New] While the FTC is at the early stages of rulemaking and looks to gain a full picture of the online food and grocery delivery business and governing state laws, there is potential that any final rule could encompass more than third-party delivery platforms. JD Supra
• [New] A belief that open markets can always compensate for disruption flies in the face of the growing dependency of the whole system on a few breadbasket locations, with 60% of global food production occurring in just five countries. The Guardian
• [New] The Climate Change Committee advised government last week not to allow domestic food production to drop below 60% of the UK's food needs, and said the damages inflicted by climate change on food production could reach more than £2bn a year in the 2030s, from about £200m today. The Guardian
• [New] Botswana holds no country standard, and plans to adopt the SADC minimum food fortification standards delineated in its first food fortification strategy. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] New research from a Texas A & M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences doctoral graduate could help producers better protect poultry flocks from disease outbreaks while reducing costs. EurekAlert!
• [New] Strategic partnerships between AI platform providers, precision fermentation ingredient companies, and global CPG R&D organizations will increasingly shape competitive positioning and platform ecosystem development across global food formulation technology markets. Mobility Foresights
• [New] Global food demand is projected to rise by more than 50% by 2050 as the world's population approaches 9.7 billion. The AI Journal
• [New] By combining clear criteria with the potential for targeted financial incentives, IFC can catalyze systemic change across agribusiness value chains and contribute to a more resilient food and fiber production system. IFC
• [New] Last week, the global food insecurity monitor IPC warned nearly 20 million people across Sudan face acute hunger this year, with more than 800,000 children at risk of severe malnutrition due to civil war, mass displacement and collapsing food and health systems. Democracy Now!
• [New] Food & beverages are expected to dominate, with nearly a 35% share in 2026, due to FDA and EU approvals that permit direct food-contact applications. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The expansion of AP could provide nutritious solutions while also diversifying the protein-rich food basket and addressing concerns about environmental impact, animal welfare, and human health. PubMed Central (PMC)

Last updated: 02 June 2026