Food Security Index — July 2026: 41.2

The Food Security Index averaged 41.2 out of 50 in July 2026, reaching a high point on July 22. Tension was driven up by fears that the war in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz crisis could cause fertilizer shortages, raising food prices and threatening future harvests. A summer heatwave also pushed pressure up by dropping grain production estimates in the EU and UK. Things calmed down toward the end of the month following an award announcement for an AI-powered materials lab at Rice University, helping the index hit its lowest level of 33 on July 31.

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

Peak 50 on 2026-07-22 · low 33 on 2026-07-31 · locked record · ← June · Food Security Index timeline · August → · World Tension, same month

• The Iran War threatened a food crisis. The next Gulf conflict could do the same. reuters.com · 2026-07-09
• Strait of Hormuz crisis: Fertilizer scarcity will affect next harvests and food supplies, FAO warns fao.org · 2026-07-05
• UN's worst-case scenario: Energy and fertilizer shock from Iran war could push nearly 19 million more into chronic hunger by 2030 Fortune · 2026-07-21
• How a fertilizer shortage caused by the Iran war could affect U.S. food prices npr.org · 2026-07-03
• Fertilizer costs worry farmers as Iran conflict continues marketplace.org · 2026-07-15
• What the Hormuz Crisis Teaches Us About Agriculture’s Strategic Vulnerability International Institute for Sustainable Development · 2026-07-31
• Global warming threatens rice harvests more than crop models predict, study warns Phys.org · 2026-07-29
• Accelerating discovery: Rice receives nearly $20M NSF award for AI-powered materials laboratory Rice University · 2026-07-23

• Bayer signs licensing agreement with RAGT and begins broad hybrid wheat commercialization by early 2030s