US beef prices hit a record $9.18 per pound. Further increases are expected through 2027. UK has no food security policy. Global agricultural supply chains are being disrupted by climate events, tariffs, and geopolitical friction simultaneously.

The shift worth understanding: agriculture is transitioning from a market-driven system to a geopolitical one. Prices for basic commodities like potatoes and onions have hit historical highs not because of supply failures, but because of policy decisions — export bans, shipping tariff spikes, input cost surges driven by energy markets.

When food prices respond more to geopolitical events than to harvests, the models that food businesses use to plan break down. Diversification of supply sources becomes a strategic necessity, not just a business optimization.

The cost of this transition is being paid at the source — by farmers and producing nations who operate on thin margins and long timelines. The system rewards those who can absorb volatility. That is a shrinking group.