“Global grain production is on track to reach an all-time high of 3.6 billion tons in the 2025–26 season, helping bring down food prices. Wheat, maize, and rice are now 20 percent, 2 percent, and 31 percent cheaper than a year ago, respectively,” notes The Doomslayer.
This is good news that some agricultural experts failed to predict. In 2022, they predicted that poor countries would suffer massive food shortages due to Russia’s war with Ukraine, which had cut off grain exports from Ukraine. Grain production in Ukraine fell from about 87 million tons before Russia’s 2022 invasion to about 60 million tons in 2023 and 52 million tons in 2024. In late 2022, thousands of people starved in poor countries like Somalia, due to the surge in food prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But global grain supplies quickly rebounded and malnutrition rates fell in much of the Third World.
The World Bank adds:
Global grain supplies are projected to reach a record 3.6 billion tons in the 2025-26 season, marking a third consecutive year of growth—though at a slower pace than the average annual growth of the preceding two decades. Wheat supply has returned to its long-term average growth rate, while maize supply has rebounded after recent setbacks but remains below its historical trend. In contrast, supplies of rice and soybeans are projected to grow at about their long-term growth averages, building on last season’s significantly elevated levels…
Global edible oil supply is expected to rise by 5 percent in the 2025-26 crop year, marking the fourth consecutive year of expansion and outpacing the long-term trend. This growth is largely driven by record-high soybean production, which is boosting soybean oil output. In contrast, the combined supply of other major oils—including sunflower seed, rapeseed, and coconut oil—declined in 2024-25 and is expected to recover in 2025-26, though by less than the historical average. As a result, the market’s reliance on soybean oil is likely to persist into 2026, with only a partial rebound in alternative oil sources.
Poverty has fallen in most of the world even as poverty has been redefined to include more income levels.
Poverty has fallen rapidly in the world’s most mountainous country, which is 98.8% mountains and contains many remote areas that are hard to reach.
Poverty has declined in Latin America, except in socialist dictatorships like Venezuela.
Global life expectancy has hit an all-time high.
