AGP Executive Report

Food Security Policy: Malaysia’s agriculture minister says a National Food Security Act is needed to build an early-warning system and automatic preparedness plan as El Niño and climate change raise drought risks, with talks also covering cultured meat and honey authenticity controls. Global Food Prices & Inputs: U.S. urea fertilizer prices have slid back to pre–Iran-conflict levels after a spike, easing pressure on farmers, though drought and rising rice prices keep food-inflation risk on the radar. Retail Demand: UK retail sales rose 3.7% in May, with food up 3.9% as heatwave barbecues boosted grocery traffic, even as energy and household-cost pressures threaten momentum. Food Safety & Regulation: FDA added bemotrizinol as a new sunscreen active ingredient—the first in 20 years—while separate coverage highlights ongoing food-safety governance needs via “One Health” coordination. Industry & Innovation: Egypt and the World Bank discussed AgriConnect-style support for smallholders and market access; Dubai launched “Map Your Dubai” to spotlight local eateries via resident voting. Hospitality & Consumer Trends: Lavazza is bringing U.S.-bound single-serve espresso tablets designed to cut capsule waste, and GoTab acquired Fishbowl to help hospitality operators drive repeat visits. Disruption Watch: A major quake forced tuna producer Century Pacific to assess damage in General Santos, targeting a restart within 1–2 weeks.

Food Safety Crackdown: Indonesia is tightening oversight of toxic pesticide residues, with Bapanas and the Trade Ministry rolling out mobile food-safety lab vehicles to speed up testing ahead of World Food Safety Day. Regulatory Pressure in the US: California Proposition 65 enforcement is intensifying around aflatoxins, with private enforcers issuing dozens of notices targeting warnings across nuts, dried fruits, snacks and spices. Agriculture Inputs Under Threat: Zimbabwe is accelerating fertiliser localisation and regional procurement after Hormuz-linked supply shocks, while Nigeria’s Plateau farmers face rising fake and adulterated fertiliser risks flagged by dealers’ groups. Protein Innovation: Thailand’s Betagro is launching “Chicken Made Noodle,” aiming to deliver double protein in a ready-meal format. Trade & Exports: South Korea’s Seoul Food 2026 opens with 1,800 companies from 49 countries and targets $650m in export consultations. Industry & Jobs: Malaysia is pushing TVET upgrades in AI and green tech, but education experts say instructors need overseas industry attachment to make programmes work. Hospitality Strain (UK): UK hospitality is calling for tax relief as closures mount, with VAT burden cited as a key pressure point.

Food Policy & Reformulation: The UK’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF) urges government to pause changes to nutritional profiling, citing member reformulation progress like lower salt, sugar and calories versus 2021. Food Safety & Regulation: Ethiopia’s EFDA warns unsafe food still drives massive illness and calls for stronger lab capacity and shared, evidence-based action across government, industry and academia. Trade & Market Access: Canada’s CFIA secured new seafood market access in Vietnam, Oman, Brazil, Armenia and Costa Rica, including restored chilled and frozen finfish exports to Vietnam. Agriculture Partnerships: Ghana’s President Mahama pushes deeper Ghana–Belarus agro-tech cooperation via MOUs on trade, chambers and agriculture modernization. Global Inputs Risk: FAO flags fertilizer supply shocks tied to the Strait of Hormuz and urges open trade in agricultural inputs and efficient fertilizer use. Animal Health Alert: Texas reports new New World screwworm cases, reviving a decades-old threat to cattle and triggering eradication response. Industry & Packaging: EXPO PACK México 2026 highlights packaging and processing innovation with record participation. Retail & Health: Kroger doubles down on prevention-focused health in-store strategy. Nutrition Science: A study finds one avocado daily may lower dietary glycemic load in adults with elevated waist circumference. Halal Expansion: Bangladesh and Indonesia look beyond meat into processed foods, pharma, healthcare and digital via the D-8 Halal Expo.

Food Safety & Regulation: India’s FSSAI has opened online recruitment for Group A and C posts (June 6–26), underscoring ongoing capacity-building for food oversight. Policy & Compliance Pressure: New Zealand’s fast-tracked HSNO GMO amendments are drawing “red alert” warnings from exporters and dairy groups over potential loss of tracing and labeling safeguards. Market & Cost Signals: Cyprus retail trade volume fell 1% in April, while food/drinks/tobacco rose 0.9%, hinting consumers are holding the essentials even as broader retail softens. Food Security & Supply Chains: Ghana Standards Authority’s understaffing is forcing producers to travel to Accra for certification, delaying samples and slowing exports. Agriculture & Fisheries: Türkiye launched a national action plan to crack down on illegal fishing using electronic monitoring and satellite tracking. Industry Deals: Masan Group secured a $750m loan facility, with refinancing and reserve capacity aimed at strategic flexibility. Innovation & Products: Tanmiah won Product of the Year Gulf 2026 for frozen breaded chicken and marinated Shaqra pepper chicken, spotlighting Saudi poultry value-add.

Wellness & food innovation: Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister visited Songkhla’s GMP-certified herbal extraction facility as the government pushes a southern “wellness economy” spanning medicine, food, agriculture and tourism. Food safety & compliance: India’s Maharashtra FDA raided a Palghar glove supplier over unsterilised surgical gloves falsely labeled sterile, freezing Rs 1.26 crore in stock pending investigation. Seafood exports push: India’s Centre urged states to help hit the Rs 1 lakh crore seafood export goal, calling for a coordinated push on traceability, certification, infrastructure and market diversification. Food waste & redistribution: The UAE Food Bank and DP World Foundation launched “Sustainable Goodness” to recover abandoned shipments at Jebel Ali Port and redistribute eligible food under health and safety standards. World Food Safety Day: Oman marked the day with a focus on traceability systems and safer food practices across the supply chain. Nutrition on the ground: Haiti’s Meds and Food for Kids highlighted therapeutic peanut-based nutrition production using local inputs, while tackling peanut quality and supply gaps. Agrifood investment & processing: Egypt’s PM inspected Alexandria projects including Lipton Teas expansion and new food-processing capacity, underscoring local manufacturing and exports. Livestock biosecurity: Florida issued emergency rules to restrict warm-blooded animal imports after New World screwworm was detected in Texas, adding certification and inspection requirements. Dairy supply chain buildout: Malaysia’s Jemaluang Dairy Valley aims for 4,000 cows and 10m litres of milk by year three, targeting a fuller dairy value chain beyond farming.

World Food Safety Day: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari urged safer food practices and stronger compliance across the whole food chain, highlighting the 2026 theme “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere.” Food Safety Enforcement: In Trinidad and Tobago, stakeholders questioned a Finance Bill 2026 push that raises fines for unlicensed food manufacturing, arguing consultation has been lacking. AI in Hospitality: Singapore’s Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay is testing AI to reduce food waste by using daily buffet photos to plan next-day prep, while Australia’s “Hey Buddy” AI phone concierge targets missed calls at restaurants. Automation at Fast Food: McDonald’s is piloting a Google-backed ArchIQ AI system for drive-thru ordering and store operations, despite customer pushback. Cattle Biosecurity: Utah officials said the new U.S. New World screwworm case in Texas is not a food-supply or public health threat, but urged vigilance and rapid treatment. Agrifood Support: Ghana’s President John Mahama toured Belarus’ dairy and baby-food processing hub, seeking partnerships to cut post-harvest losses and boost food security. Rice Investment Push: ECOWAS and AGRA called for bigger financing to transform West Africa’s rice sector and strengthen food systems. Fertilizer Shock Risk: Analysis warns Strait of Hormuz disruptions could hit urea supplies, raising food-price pressure for import-dependent countries.

Food Safety Watch: FSSAI warned Indian vendors to stop using newspapers for wrapping/serving food, citing ink chemicals, heavy metals and hygiene risks, and reiterated the 2018 Packaging Regulations ban. Food Safety Day: Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health marks World Food Safety Day 2026 with hygiene awareness and recognition for top-performing food establishments. Retail & Groceries: Patel Retail opened its 52nd Patel’s R Mart store in Bapgaon, Bhiwandi, expanding suburban grocery access across Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Agri-Food Policy: Odisha raised rice milling charges (Rs 10→20 per quintal for raw; Rs 20→40 for parboiled) to ease miller cash strain and support smoother CMR procurement. Food Security & Industry: Ghana’s MOFA–Finance Ministry funding dispute over GH¢1.677bn threatens coordination, with former minister Bryan Acheampong urging alignment to protect the food system. Automation in Drinks: RobotAnno showcased 24/7 AI drink kiosks (coffee, milk tea, cocktails, ice cream) at FAIR plus 2026 in Shenzhen, targeting labor-cost pressure in service retail. Meat Supply Capacity: Qatar’s Al Anaam Factory processed nearly 6,500 slaughtered animals for Eid Al Adha, handling about 45% of inspected slaughtered animals during the season.

Food Safety Enforcement: Hawaiʻi’s DOH cleared Ohana Sub & Deli, Inc. to reopen after critical violations—like a nonfunctional handwashing sink and insufficient hot water—were fixed following a follow-up inspection. Restaurant Sector Pressure: Singapore’s restaurant churn continues, with new registrations outpacing closures, as operators face a higher baseline for rent, labour and energy and diners stay cautious. PFAS Packaging Push: Massachusetts lawmakers are again weighing broad PFAS bans that would cover food packaging and cookware, with exemptions possible for essential products and a cleanup fund for contaminated communities. Seafood Export Ambition: India’s Piyush Goyal urged the seafood industry to jump exports from $8.5B to $30B in five years by prioritizing quality and value-added brands over raw shipments. Agriculture Land-Use Alarm: Central Luzon groups launched the Save the Rice Granary Movement, calling for a two-year moratorium on land conversion permits to protect farmland and ease food security strain. Local Food Costs Hit Operators: A Birmingham fish and chip shop warned it may close after rising fish and potato prices, arguing for VAT relief to help dining businesses survive.

Organic Awards & Export Push: Ireland opened entries for the National Organic Awards 2026 at Bloom, highlighting 6,100 organic farmers and food businesses and citing Bord Bia data showing organic produce demand up 12.5% last year, with a €750m wholesale output target by 2030. Seafood Sales Shake-Up: Tristan International named Ethan Gerber national account manager, aiming to grow U.S. markets while doubling Florida storage and processing capacity. Food Safety Labeling: India’s FSSAI will introduce a standardized green “Vegan” logo for approved vegan foods, mandatory from July 1, 2027, to curb confusing claims. C-store Competition & Capital Discipline: Retailers are shifting from new builds to remodels and targeted upgrades to improve faster ROI as competition intensifies and store standards evolve. Global Food Prices: FAO reported world food prices broadly stable in May, with cereal and sugar up while vegetable oils and dairy eased. Cargill Expansion: Cargill invested €56m in Belgium to expand edible oils bottling and gourmet chocolate capacity, plus a new pilot plant for product development. Livestock Disease Watch: Oklahoma farmers are monitoring after a New World screwworm case was confirmed in Texas, raising fears for cattle numbers and beef prices. Agritourism Trend: Australia’s truffle tourism is growing, with immersive farm stays and dog-led foraging experiences drawing interest from travelers. Wholesale Data Tool: TWC launched Channel Track, a cross-channel tracker built from card spend and research to help wholesalers and suppliers understand consumer missions and spend. Food Security Partnerships: The Philippines and Japan expanded their agriculture pact to include fisheries, aiming to boost productivity and modernize value chains.

Food Safety Recall: Waitrose recalled “Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns” after barley was found but not declared on labels, raising allergy risk for customers with barley allergies. Supply Chain & Risk: The USDA confirmed the New World screwworm in Texas for the first time since 1966, triggering quarantine steps; officials stress the food supply is safe, but cattle producers face major disruption risk. Food Policy & Pricing: India is moving to standardise edible oil pack sizes to improve price transparency and make per-litre comparisons easier for consumers. Food Security Funding: Ghana’s Eric Opoku warned African governments are far short of the Maputo/Kampala pledge to allocate at least 10% of budgets to agriculture, calling it grossly inadequate for poverty reduction and growth. Urban Farming: Manila relaunched the Luneta Urban Garden with greenhouse and smart-ag tech, including Japanese musk melons, to boost local food supply. Nutrition Tracking Tech: Google Health rolled out an update fixing fitness tracking and sleep-score issues and adding support for logging previously created custom foods. Industry Culture: National Fish and Chip Day drove UK promotions and local rankings, highlighting ongoing pressure on fish-and-chip operators amid higher cod and haddock costs.

Agri-Funding: Malaysia’s Selangor state earmarked RM25m under its Resilience Enhancement Package to cushion farmers and agri-entrepreneurs from higher input, fuel and operating costs, with RM8.75m earmarked for padi growers. Food Security Metrics: Jordan’s food self-sufficiency climbed to 61.4% in 2024 (from 57.3% in 2020), driven by surpluses in vegetables and full self-reliance in milk and olive oil—while wheat and seafood remain heavily import-dependent. Livestock Biosecurity: The USDA confirmed a New World screwworm case in a 3-week-old calf in south Texas, triggering quarantine and expanded surveillance; officials stress it’s a livestock threat, not a food-safety risk. Antibiotic Pressure: A new FAO study links lower antibiotic use to productivity gains, warning livestock antibiotic demand could rise sharply without efficiency improvements. Retail & Delivery: Amazon is expanding UK online grocery so select London customers can add fresh produce and other staples to same-day delivery orders. Hospitality Careers: IGD relaunched “Feeding Britain’s Future” to mobilize the food workforce pipeline, aiming to engage every secondary school by 2030 and boost work experience. Wine Exports & Tourism: Georgia keeps pushing into global markets with “Wines of Georgia on Tour” tastings in the US and support for producers at London Wine Fair 2026, plus media projects to boost wine tourism.

Georgian Wine Push in France: Georgia’s National Wine Agency and the Embassy hosted Paris tastings and tours for HoReCa and media, spotlighting qvevri wines and aiming to deepen export demand in a major wine market. Drought Pressure on Food Systems: Utah’s record-low snowpack and low water levels are expected to stress fish habitats, with warmer, lower-oxygen waters likely hurting trout and other species—an early warning for anglers and local ecosystems. Farmer-First Policy Drive (India): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged faster, farmer-centered implementation of Kharif 2026 schemes, calling out bureaucracy as a barrier to real on-the-ground benefits. Hospitality & Retail Demand Signals: ANZ reported May card spending rose, with hospitality up and bars/cafes & restaurants showing solid month-on-month gains—useful context for foodservice operators. Foodservice Resilience Test (US): Clover Food Lab, which shut down Boston-area locations, says it will reopen select Cambridge and Boston restaurants on June 9 after securing new investment. Water Security as Investment Risk (Philippines): Cebu leaders flagged water shortages as a long-term competitiveness threat, pushing for infrastructure and stronger public-private action. Craft Brewing Headwinds (NZ): New Zealand’s craft breweries face a tougher environment—CO2, keg logistics, excise costs and shifting consumer habits—signaling pressure on the boutique beer boom.

Dairy Price Squeeze: UK dairy farmers say supermarket pricing is leaving them with near-zero margins, even as retail prices stay high, prompting calls for tougher supply-chain fairness rules. Antitrust & Meat Costs: A US antitrust settlement bars agricultural data firm Agri Stats from sharing sensitive info among competing meat processors, spotlighting how consolidation can lift grocery prices. Food Security via Wheat: CIMMYT and Uzbekistan are launching a wheat innovation push to tackle rust, soil-borne disease and yield risks, aiming to strengthen long-term food security. Dairy Sector Under Pressure: Reports highlight collapsing milk prices and mounting strain on dairy producers, adding to the broader cost-and-margin squeeze. AI in Agriculture: Coverage argues AI is moving from promise to practice in farming via precision tools, while also raising new operational and cyber risks. Climate Shock to Farms: A new analysis warns heat and extreme weather are increasingly binding constraints on farm labor and yields, threatening staples. Ghana Rice Drive: Ghana’s agriculture minister outlines a 10-year plan to cut the rice deficit with satellite mapping, a producer-importer quota approach, and more predictable pricing to attract investment. EU Catering Rule Change: From August 2026, EU restaurants must phase out single-use condiment sachets like ketchup and mayo, pushing reusable dispensers.

Climate Finance for Food Security: The GEF approved a new LDCF/SCCF work program worth $67m for vulnerable countries, targeting flood/coastal risks, food and water security, and disaster preparedness. Philippines Farm Co-ops Push: A new inter-agency framework (DA, DILG, CDA) aims to streamline support for agricultural cooperatives to boost livelihoods and strengthen food systems. Middle East Shock Hits Food Costs: EBRD cut growth forecasts for Lebanon and Iraq, warning energy shocks could feed into inflation and future food price pressure. Coffee Policy Moves Forward: Pakistan’s food-security minister called for smarter beverage taxation to better match sugar/nutrition and support rural innovation, while Venezuela’s Coffee Bill cleared the first five articles to back sustainable coffee value chains. Retail & Restaurant Tech: McDonald’s is testing drive-thru voice AI again; Shake Shack lowered guidance on weaker sales and rising costs. Food Safety Crackdown: Msunduza authorities seized 560kg+ of unsafe food in inspections, citing expired, pest-infested, damaged, and unlabeled products. Trade & Tariffs: Trump eased tariffs on some agricultural and industrial equipment, a move that could ripple into farm input costs.

Labor Market Signals: U.S. job openings jumped to the highest level since May 2024, but hiring cooled as economic uncertainty tied to the Iran war weighed on confidence. Manufacturing Pulse: Kazakhstan’s April PMI edged up, hinting at stabilization, though employment and output kept sliding. Cocoa & Chocolate Supply: Barry Callebaut unveiled a “Focus for Growth” plan to stabilize operations amid cocoa volatility and shift toward higher-value chocolate. Protein Ingredients Pressure: A whey protein shortage is driving sharp price spikes and forcing food brands to reformulate and rethink pricing. Trade & Tariffs: UK Fairtrade raised alarms over proposed temporary tariff cuts on over 100 food items, warning it could disrupt pay arrangements for cocoa farmers. Food Security & Fisheries: Ghana’s fisheries minister called for stronger regional cooperation and practical reforms to improve Africa’s agrifood systems. Packaging/Policy: England’s EPR and food-waste collection rollout is accelerating, with officials citing broad consumer readiness to join circular schemes. Corporate Moves in Food Retail: General Mills agreed to sell its Häagen-Dazs shop business in Mainland China via a licensing deal, reshaping its China retail strategy. Legal Heat on Ultra-Processed Foods: San Francisco filed a major lawsuit targeting major food and beverage makers over claims they engineered a public health crisis.

China Food Delivery Crackdown: China’s regulators now require food delivery apps to verify restaurants’ licenses and physical addresses, targeting “ghost kitchens” after cases of forged permits and outsourced orders raised food safety alarms. Cold-Chain Packaging Focus: A new look at cold chain growth argues packaging can’t stay “set and forget” as temperature-sensitive logistics scales for food, pharma and DTC delivery. Dairy Spotlight: World Milk Day (June 1) spotlights milk’s nutrition and the dairy sector’s role in livelihoods, with a campaign centered on women farmers. Sustainable Ingredients & Alcohol: Intact Regenerative opened an industrial facility using low-impact pulse extraction to make functional plant proteins and low-carbon alcohol. Food Prices & Fuel Pressure: South Africa’s diesel shock is framed as a supply-chain inflation driver, not just a pump problem. Supermarket Competition Watch: New Zealand’s Commerce Commission says supermarket competition shows little change, even as regulatory reforms aim to loosen the duopoly. Workforce & Food Access: Farmworker advocates warn heat stress is a growing risk for migrant workers, with housing and meal access still under strain. Japan Tax Move: Japan’s ruling parties are coordinating a limited food and beverage consumption tax cut for April 2027, aiming for a 1% rate (or possibly 0%).