Food Security Index — May 2026: 45.2

The Food Security Index averaged 45.2 in May 2026, reaching a high of 59 on May 23 and a low of 39 on May 29. Early in the month, headlines regarding baseball offensive depth and an injury scare lifted index tension. Major ongoing concerns also pushed tension up, including the Strait of Hormuz conflict threatening global food prices, rising fertilizer and energy costs for South American farmers, and severe hunger risks in Somalia and Sudan. Later, a low-carbon ammonia agreement between PepsiCo and TalusAg offered a calming influence. However, the month ended with new upward pressure as the war in Iran forced farmers to seek fertilizer alternatives like cow dung and compost.

Scores in this month were computed by the first-generation engine (v1).

Peak 59 on 2026-05-23 · low 39 on 2026-05-29 · locked record · ← April · Food Security Index timeline · June → · World Tension, same month

• Strait of Hormuz conflict threatens global food prices as FAO warns time is running out fao.org · 2026-05-20
• The Iran war: Farmers in Brazil and Argentina face rising fertilizer and energy prices IFPRI · 2026-05-04
• Somalia at ‘real risk of famine’ as Middle East war fallout continues UN News · 2026-05-15
• Iran war forces farmers to seek fertilizer alternatives from cow dung to compost apnews.com · 2026-05-30
• Sudan hunger crisis deepens as UN warns millions face acute food shortages UN News · 2026-05-15
• Fertilizer Cost Increases Resulting from the Iran Conflict farmdoc daily · 2026-05-05
• Why the Iran war should change how we think about fertilizer The World Economic Forum · 2026-05-15
• Food, Fuel, and Fertilizer: How President Trump’s War in Iran Wreaks Havoc on the African Continent Center for American Progress · 2026-05-15

• PepsiCo and TalusAg announce low-carbon ammonia attribute agreement to help accelerate fertilizer decarbonization