2024 Food price trends: global shifts, local impacts, and what’s ahead in 2025.

Loading player...
GUEST: Casey Sprake, Economist, Anchor Capital
In January 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported that its Global Food Price Index (FFPI), a key measure of global food commodity prices, averaged 124.9 points for the month. This represented a 1.6% decline compared to the revised December 2024 level, primarily driven by decreases in sugar, vegetable oil, and meat prices.
However, these declines were partially offset by rising prices in dairy products and cereals. Despite the monthly drop, the overall index remained 6.2% higher than in January 2024, reflecting persistent food price pressures over the past year. Nevertheless, food prices were still 22.0% lower than the peak recorded in March 2022, when global food markets faced extreme volatility due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
17 Feb 2025 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Tracking South Africa’s Reform Agenda

Econometrix Chief Economist Dr. Azar Jammine breaks down the latest Operation Vulindlela progress report. We explore where reforms are gaining traction—from energy restructuring to freight logistics—and where bottlenecks remain.
28 Apr 3PM 20 min

Is SA’s Construction Sector Turning?

Economist Dr. Roelof Botha analyzes the latest Afrimat Construction Index alongside Operation Vulindlela’s reform dashboard. With construction activity rising for a second quarter, we ask whether reforms in energy, logistics, and water are finally translating into real‑world infrastructure momentum.
28 Apr 3PM 13 min

Making B‑BBEE Work for Growth

NEF General Counsel Karishma Govender joins us to unpack new research on managers’ perceptions of B‑BBEE. We explore why transformation remains essential.
28 Apr 3PM 8 min

Inside the SpendTrend26 Report

Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner joins Kaya Biz to unpack the SpendTrend26 report, revealing how South Africans are becoming more disciplined, more digital, and more value‑driven.
28 Apr 3PM 17 min

Long‑Term Investing in Uncertain Markets

With global conflict, inflation swings, and rapid AI disruption, investors are feeling the pressure. Horacia Naidoo‑McCarthy from Allan Gray explains how to avoid emotional decision‑making, anchor to fundamentals, and maintain long‑term discipline when markets feel unfamiliar and unpredictable.
28 Apr 3PM 12 min