The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, Oct. 3, edition that world food prices rose in September to their highest in nearly four years as logistics disruptions and weather concerns affected crop markets, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that fears about a severe El Nino weather pattern have pushed international sugar prices to an 18-month high, while a war-related collapse in Black Sea trade pushed wheat futures to a three-year peak early last month. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices for a basket of food commodities, averaged 136.0 points, up from a revised 134.0 for August and the highest reading since November, 2022. FAO economist Maximo Torero said: "We are seeing a persistent and increasingly broad-based buildup in global commodity prices, as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea combine with climate shocks, putting pressure on energy, transport and key food commodities. If sustained, these pressures will soon pass through to consumer food prices, especially in food and energy import-dependent countries."