Global Scans · Food & Agriculture · Weekly Summary

• [New] The burden on developing countries will not only come in the form of energy prices, but also lasting impacts on fertilizer consumption, food security, and food prices, which Birol emphasized is a global problem. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] USDA anticipates strong export opportunities across several product sectors, including: Beef, poultry, and related products Baking and food processing ingredients Additional opportunities exist for U.S. products such as animal feed, rice, pulses, seed potatoes, and livestock genetics. Granted AI
• [New] The World Bank reports a 46% monthly spike in fertilizer costs, threatening food security that could send 45 million people into acute hunger. investing.com
• [New] The increasing significance of precision fermentation presents important opportunities to enhance global nutrition, support human well-being, and contribute to the development of resilient and sustainable food systems. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Fertiliser components like urea and ammonia are blocked, posing a severe risk to global food production, with wealthy nations facing higher prices and developing countries facing famine. Addleshaw Goddard
• [New] The average Japanese farmer is now 69, and fewer than 30% of farm operators expect to secure a successor within five years. AgFunderNews
• [New] Energy bills could rise another 16% by year-end while food prices may climb 7%. / UK Armstrong Economics
• [New] The UK's supermarkets have been battling to keep prices down in the face of looming food inflation caused by the Iran war - which a key industry body warns could reach double figures in 2026. City AM
• [New] Policy-based models, such as the EU's Green Deal, which aims to have 25% of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030, have accelerated the adoption of organic agriculture. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Turkey's central bank on Thursday raised its end-2026 inflation target to 24% from 16%, acknowledging that inflation is no longer expected to fall as quickly as planned after energy and food price shocks from the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Turkish Minute
• [New] Fertiliser continues to play a central role in global food security, and recent geopolitical events in Iran have once again underlined just how exposed agriculture is to disruptions in energy and nutrient markets. All About Feed
• [New] Instability in the Middle East will likely boost coal-based hydrogen used for ammonia and fertilizer production in the medium-term to maintain food security. DNV
• [New] The forthcoming Super El-Nino threatens to exacerbate compounding crises wreaking havoc on global food and energy supply chains. ORF Middle East
• [New] Season-average farm prices for southern crops are projected to increase between 6-16% compared to the 2025/2026 marketing year. Southern Ag Today
• [New] Embedding Food and Drug Administration-approved AI models into imaging workflows will benefit almost 63,000 patients per year through earlier diagnoses and faster prioritization. American Hospital Association
• [New] The California pilot plant, which will include food-grade testing capabilities, will operate the smallest fermentation tanks at about 4,000 liters. FoodNavigator-USA.com
• [New] Rapid growth in AI and cloud-computing facilities could create sharp spikes in water demand during hot weather - precisely when farms, households and cities need the most supply. Farm Progress
• [New] The world faces the duality of producing food to feed a population expected to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050 while promoting ecological balance through sustainable practices. SpringerLink
• [New] Disruption to the Strait of Hormuz is exacerbating the risk of a global food crisis, as increasing energy prices squeeze fertiliser production and logistics. Walker Morris
• [New] A prolonged blockage affecting shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could escalate into a global agri-food catastrophe, highlighting the scale of risk to global food production systems. CNS Media
• [New] Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have started rippling through global food systems, with fertilizer supply emerging as a critical vulnerability. CNS Media
• [New] The scarcity of fertiliser will lead to lower crop yields and put a squeeze on food supplies towards the back half of 2026 and into 2027. Just Food

Last updated: 19 May 2026