World food prices rise for first time in 7 months: FAO

Global food prices rose for the first time in seven months in March, with a dramatic increase in prices for vegetable oil setting the pace, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO said its broad Food Price Index had climbed 1.1 percent in March compared to a month earlier. It was the index's first increase of any kind since last July. Despite the increase, the broad index was still 7.7 percent below its level from March 2023, the FAO said.