Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
+1.5°C anomaly in the Niño-3.4 region is NOAA's CPC threshold for a "strong" El Niño event, with a 62% probability of occurrence in June–August 2026 (Noll, 2026).
24 vessels per day transited the Panama Canal during the 2023–24 El Niño drought, down from the usual 36, with draft restrictions set at 44 feet (Noll, 2026).
ENECMWF models project Pacific temperatures exceeding the 2015 record (+5.04°F), with a 61% probability of El Niño in May–July 2026 (Noll, 2026).
25% crop yield decline is projected from a 20% fertilizer cut if the conflict exceeds 40 days, affecting 50% of producer budgets (Ibáñez, 2026).
2.4% rise in FAO's Food Price Index in March 2026 reached its highest since September of the prior year, with crude oil near USD 120 per barrel due to the Iran conflict (Ibáñez, 2026).
5.1% rise in vegetable oil prices and 7.2% in sugar — its highest since October 2025 — were recorded in March 2026, both linked to energy cost increases from the Iran war (Ibáñez, 2026).
On April 2, 2026, Haiti's government announced a 37% increase in diesel prices and 29% in gasoline, triggering street protests in Port-au-Prince. With gangs controlling an estimated 90% of fuel distribution, the price hike is compounding an already severe food security crisis.
45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger if the Iran conflict persists, as the poorest households spend between 50% and 70% of their income on food
Targeted cash transfers reduce poverty approximately 2× more per dollar spent than universal subsidies in response to food price shocks.
60,000 people in Haiti's central region are without access to WFP food assistance due to gang violence. 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are at risk of food insecurity.
