Maximo Torero

Based on the provided articles, Maximo Torero is likely an economist or high-ranking official at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The articles quote the FAO's assessment of rising global food prices, specifically highlighting a 2.4% increase in March, attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on energy costs. This conflict is disrupting supply chains and impacting input costs for agriculture, including fertilizers. Torero, or the FAO under his direction, warns that a prolonged conflict lasting longer than three months could have a 'significantly more serious' impact on food prices and agricultural production, particularly as countries in the Northern Hemisphere enter their spring planting seasons. The FAO's analysis, and by extension Torero's comments, are relevant due to the potential for increased food insecurity and economic instability globally as a result of the conflict's impact on food production and distribution.