Food pricesFood prices refer to the average price level for food across countries, regions and on a global scale. Food prices affect producers and consumers of food. Price levels depend on the food production process, including food marketing and food distribution. Fluctuation in food prices is determined by a number of compounding factors.
WheatWheat is a group of wild and domesticated grasses of the genus Triticum (). As cereals, they are cultivated for their grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known wheat species and hybrids include the most widely grown common wheat (T. aestivum), spelt, durum, emmer, einkorn, and Khorasan or Kamut. The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BC.
Food securityMeasure of food availabilityWomen selling produce at a market in Lilongwe, MalawiFood security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, healthy food. The availability of food for people of any class, gender, status, ethnicity, or religion is another element of food protection. Similarly, household food security is considered to exist when all the members of a family have consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
COVID-19 pandemicPandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2DiseaseCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PathogenSevere acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2)SourceBats (indirectly)LocationWorldwideIndex caseWuhan, China30°37′11″N114°15′28″E / 30.61972°N 114.25778°E / 30.61972; 114.257781 December 2019(6 years, 10 months and 1 week ago)DatesDescribed as a pandemic by the WHO: 11 March 2020 (6 years and 6 months ago) Public health emergency of international concern: 30 January 2020 – 5 May 2023 (3 years, 3 months and 5 days)Confirmed cases779,277,425Suspected casesFar higher (>70% of the world population, by the end of 2022)Deaths7,115,706 (reported)18.5–35.2 million (estimated)Fatality rateAs of 10 March 2023: 1.02%The global COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Sub-Saharan AfricaRegions south of the SaharaPlaceSub-Saharan Africa is the areas and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the African countries and territories that are situated fully in that specified region, the term may also include polities that only have part of their territory located in that region, per the definition of the United Nations (UN).
MaizeSpecies of grass cultivated as a food cropMaize (; Zea mays), also known as corn, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern commercial varieties, these are usually yellow or white; other varieties can be of many colors.
IranIran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and historically known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. With a population of over 92 million, Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population.
IraqCountry in West AsiaIraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, historically known in the west as Mesopotamia, is a country in West Asia. Located within the Middle East, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west.
SudanSudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the southeast, and South Sudan to the south. Sudan has a population of 51.8 million people as of 2025 and occupies 1,886,068 square kilometres (728,215 square miles), making it Africa's third-largest country by area.
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.
2020s energy crisisWorldwide crisis affected by shortage of energy supplies
Vegetable oilOil extracted from seeds or from other parts of plantsA bottle of peanut oilVegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are mixtures of triglycerides. Soybean oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fats from seeds. Olive oil, palm oil, and rice bran oil are examples of fats from other parts of plants.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.