PARIS: World food prices rose for a second consecutive month in September to reach a 10-year peak, driven by gains for cereals and vegetable oils, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.
The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also projected record global cereal production in 2021, but said this would be outpaced by forecast consumption.
FAO’s food price index, which tracks international prices of the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 130.0 points last month, the highest reading since September 2011, according to the agency’s data.
The figure compared with a revised 128.5 for August. The August figure was previously given as 127.4.
On a year-on-year basis, prices were up 32.8 percent in September.
Agricultural commodity prices have risen steeply in the past year, fueled by harvest setbacks and Chinese demand.
The FAO’s cereal price index rose by 2.0 percent in September from the previous month. That was led by a near 4 percent increase for wheat prices, with the UN agency citing tightening export availabilities amid strong demand.
“Among major cereals, wheat will be the focus in the coming weeks as demand need to be tested against fast rising prices,” FAO Senior Economist Abdolreza Abbassian said in a statement.
World vegetable oil prices were up 1.7 percent on the month and showing a year-on-year rise of about 60 percent, as palm oil prices climbed on robust import demand and concerns over labor shortages in Malaysia, FAO said.
Palm oil futures have rallied further in early October to hit record highs as a surge in crude oil markets has lent further support to vegetable oils used in biodiesel.
Global sugar prices rose 0.5 percent in September with concern over adverse crop weather in top exporter Brazil partly offset by slowing import demand and a favorable production outlook in India and Thailand, according to FAO.
For cereal production, FAO projected a record world crop of 2.800 billion tons in 2021, up slightly from 2.788 billion estimated a month ago.
That would be below world cereal use of 2.811 billion tons, a forecast revised up by 2.7 million tons from a month earlier mainly to reflect increased wheat use in animal feed, FAO said in a cereal supply and demand note http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/csdb/en.
Global cereal stocks were expected to ease in 2021/22 but would still be at a comfortable level, FAO added.
World food prices hit 10-year peak — FAO
https://arab.news/w87k2
World food prices hit 10-year peak — FAO
- On a year-on-year basis, prices were up 32.8 percent in September
- FAO project record global cereal production in 2021 to be outpaced by consumption
Saudi Arabia leads outcome-based education to prepare future-ready generations: Harvard Business Review
- The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s education system is undergoing a sweeping transformation aligned with Vision 2030, shifting from traditional, input-focused methods to outcome-based education designed to equip students with future-ready skills, Harvard Business Review Arabic reported.
The transformation is being adopted and spearheaded by institutions such as Al-Nobala Private Schools, which introduced the Kingdom’s first national “learning outcomes framework,” aimed at preparing a generation of leaders and innovators for an AI-driven future, the report said.
Al-Nobala has leveraged international expertise to localize advanced learning methodologies.
The Riyadh-based school group developed a strategy that links every classroom activity to measurable student competencies, aiming to graduate learners equipped for the digital economy and real-world contexts. The school’s group approach combines traditional values with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, innovation and digital fluency.
According to the report, the shift addresses the growing gap between outdated models built for low-tech, resource-constrained environments and today’s dynamic world, where learners must navigate real-time information, virtual platforms, and smart technologies.
“This is not just about teaching content, it’s about creating impact,” the report noted, citing how Al-Nobala’s model prepares students to thrive in an AI-driven world while aligning with national priorities.
The report noted that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education has paved the way for this shift by transitioning from a centralized controller to a strategic enabler, allowing schools such as Al-Nobala to tailor their curriculum to meet evolving market and societal needs. This is part of the long-term goal to place the Kingdom among the top 20 global education systems.
Al-Nobala’s work, the report stated, has succeeded in serving the broader national effort to link education outcomes directly to labor market demands, helping to fulfill the Vision 2030 pillar of building a vibrant society with a thriving economy driven by knowledge and innovation.
Last February, Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of education, said that the Kingdom was making “an unprecedented investment in education,” with spending aligned to the needs of growth and development. He said that in 2025, education received the second-largest share of the state budget, totaling $53.5 billion.
