# The cost of food: facts and figures - BBC



## Yrys (22 Apr 2008)

Considering people in the street in Haïti, Égypte, Phillipines and (Bangladesh, Argentine, Chine, Vietnam) elsewhere, I thought those informations could interested
some people...

The cost of food: facts and figures , BBC

"Explore the facts and figures behind the rising price of food across the globe."

... and that opinion .

The silent tsunami , Economist.com

Interesting links at the right of that article, in the Economist.


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## Yrys (22 Apr 2008)

I wonder how many people are daying daily  of hunger now, considering that on a normal year,
when everithing goes as "usual" it's aroung 100 000 ?

Assessing the global food crisis



> "A silent tsunami which knows no borders sweeping the world".
> 
> That is how the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) summed up the global food shortages. It is certainly a storm that has hit with little warning and has
> plunged an extra 100 million people into poverty. The crisis has triggered riots in Haiti, Cameroon, Indonesia and Egypt and is deemed a dangerous threat to stability.
> ...


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## Yrys (24 Apr 2008)

LatAm leaders in food price pact



> Four Latin American leaders, meeting in Caracas, have agreed on a $100m (£50m) scheme to combat the impact of rising food prices on the region's poor.
> The presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela and Cuba's vice-president also agreed on joint programmes to promote the development of agriculture.
> 
> Global food prices have risen in response to extra fuel costs and increased demand from India and China. The summit also blamed a US push for increased production
> ...


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## Bruce Monkhouse (25 Apr 2008)

Food inflation `monster' coming, experts warn
Politicians blamed for what some call foolish biofuel policies

Apr 25, 2008 01:31 PM 
Terry Pedwell 
THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA–Soaring fuel and grain prices have some economic researchers warning of catastrophic food inflation and political unrest within a year, the likes of which hasn't been seen in Canada since the 1970s.
They're partly blaming politicians for pumping billions of dollars into what they call wrongheaded biofuel technologies, and for promoting monetary policies that have driven up the price of oil.
"What they have done is potentially unleashed a monster," says Ian Lee, MBA director at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business.

"It's not going to be good news," he said, predicting that Canada could face food inflation much like what was experienced in the Trudeau era if prices continue to rise unchecked.
Former prime minister Pierre Trudeau imposed wage and price controls in the mid-'70s in an effort to steady an economy facing out-of-control inflation brought on by sharp increases in food and energy costs.

Despite a near double-digit increase in the price of bread, Canada has recently enjoyed low inflation rates – pegged at 1.4 per cent in March – largely thanks to heated competition among food retailers and the high value of the Canadian dollar.
However, rising food and energy costs will push overall inflation to more than double the March rate by next year, Toronto-based CIBC World Markets Inc. predicted in its most recent quarterly forecast.

Consumers can expect meat and other food prices to slowly rise in the weeks and months ahead, the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors warned yesterday.
However, ever-escalating grain and energy costs could result in even greater price "shocks" within a year if slumping world economies combine with rising food prices, Lee is predicting.
Lee is especially critical of governments for altering the world food supply by investing heavily in the production of corn-based biofuels, including biodiesel and ethanol.

"It's got to go down as one of the dumbest decisions ever," Lee says of creating biofuels from agricultural products that have traditionally been part of the food chain.
"It has no appreciable impact on the cost of energy, and it's had a huge impact on the cost of food."
Policy experts disagree over whether subsidizing ethanol production with tax dollars has been a good or bad thing.

The Harper Conservatives have committed $2.2 billion over nine years to developing Canada's biofuels industry. Ontario has invested in ethanol production. The United States is spending billions more.
Tim Haig, chairman of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, lays blame for escalating food prices squarely at the feet of big oil companies.
"The inescapable conclusion is that higher oil prices are the fundamental source of the inflationary pressure on food," Haig, president and CEO of Canada's largest biodiesel producer, BIOX Corp., wrote last week.

There are other factors involved in pushing prices higher, including the burgeoning Asian middle class and its hunger for meat and products that use more energy, as well as market speculators.
"And, yes, the grains and oilseeds that are being used in biofuels," Haig acknowledged.

But as demand for corn has grown along with the biofuels industry, so has supply, he argued.
Using food sources to produce alternative energy sources, however, has proven to be a colossal mistake, says Murray Fulton, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan's Department of Bioresource Policy, Business and Economics.
"My view is that it's not a very smart policy move," said Fulton.

"There are other biofuel activities that we could be looking at," he said, suggesting cellulosic ethanol as an alternative to ethanol created from corn.
It sounds a little like Rumpelstiltskin spinning straw into gold, but Fulton argues that governments should be investing in biotechnology that can transform straw, and other plant wastes, into ``green" gold.

"The advantage of this technology is that it doesn't use the actual seed of the plant," says Fulton.
"They're using waste material, products that come from less productive farmland, often land that is not in food production at all."
As 2008 began, deep instability in the world's financial markets seemed to be the worst headache for the global economy.

But now the threat of a food crisis is mounting daily, with food riots breaking out in poorer countries in Africa, south Asia and elsewhere.
Canada has responded to riots in Haiti, which last weekend cost the life of a UN peacekeeper, by promising more unspecified aid and participating this week in a high-level international meeting in Port-au-Prince to discuss the food crisis.
Haiti is already the second-largest recipient of Canadian aid.

No one should expect food riots in Canada, but politicians should be leery of the effects of ever-increasing food and energy prices on their own fortunes, said Lee.
"The impact on Canada obviously isn't going to be the same as on the third world," he said.
"Nonetheless, when food starts to become much more expensive, and you have food inflation emerging, it always has consequences."

"It has political consequences."


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## Yrys (26 Apr 2008)

Why grocery bills are set to soar , Gloge & Mail



> Canada's near-free-ride on food inflation is coming to an end and consumers better brace for some steep increases in their grocery bills.
> 
> Food prices have been largely flat for months, mainly because of the surging Canadian dollar, which has reduced the cost of importing products from the United States
> such as fruits and vegetables. But with the dollar stabilizing near parity with the U.S. greenback and oil hitting record levels, "Canada's good luck on food prices is likely
> ...


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## Yrys (26 Apr 2008)

Displaced Kenya farmers add to food woes



> MOMBASA, Kenya (CNN) -- Kennedy Ombuki is a farmer. In normal times, he grows corn, maize, potatoes and peas on the green slopes near Molo. "They were
> export peas," he says proudly. But these are not normal times in Kenya, and Ombuki is bitter.
> 
> He is a refugee in his own country. "It is indeed sad to live in this camp when I have my farm. I am a beggar now," he says outside his tent in a displaced camp in Molo
> ...


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## wildman0101 (26 Apr 2008)

oh sure now they tell us...  so you figuired it out wow man ..took you long enough mr politician..duh
oh by the way we have been there ,,,are there,, done that..
so you clued in ...woooppeeee.
damn we should appropriate your pension like you did ours mr man...
ive seen and observed some of our younger generation 
they are a tight knit group,,they care about each other and that shows leadership..
so go home,,, retire,,,collect your gold plated pension and let the young-one have a go
just my thoughts and maybe a bit of a rant..
mods please edit for contents,,, spelling ect.
ill shut-up now 
                                                best regards to all,,,
                                                    scoty b


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## Fishbone Jones (26 Apr 2008)

wildman0101 said:
			
		

> oh sure now they tell us...  so you figuired it out wow man ..took you long enough mr politician..duh
> oh by the way we have been there ,,,are there,, done that..
> so you clued in ...woooppeeee.
> damn we should appropriate your pension like you did ours mr man...
> ...



Jeez Scoty, you drinking again? ;D


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## Yrys (26 Apr 2008)

recceguy said:
			
		

> Jeez Scoty, you drinking again? ;D



from another thread :



			
				wildman0101 said:
			
		

> having a beer,,smoking a cig... just finished planting up my veggie garden
> and listening to ccr (credence clear water revival) (loud)ish
> damn im empty (goin for a beer)
> best regards,,,
> scoty b



So drinking ? Yup!


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## The Bread Guy (26 Apr 2008)

Longer research piece from the U.S. Congressional Research Service (.pdf attached below)....

"Summary:

U.S. food prices rose 4% in 2007 and are expected to gain 3.5% to 4.5% in 2008. Higher farm commodity prices and energy costs are the leading factors behind higher food prices. Farm commodity prices have surged because (1) demand for corn for ethanol is competing with food and feed for acreage; (2) global food grain and oilseed supplies are low due to poor harvests; (3) the weak dollar has increased U.S. exports; (4) rising incomes in large, rapidly emerging economies have changed eating habits; and (5) input costs have increased. Higher energy costs increase transportation, processing, and retail costs. Although the cost of commodities such as corn or wheat are a small part of the final retail price of most food products, they have risen enough to have an impact on retail prices. Generally, price changes at the farm level have a diminished impact on retail prices, especially for highly processed products. The impact of higher food prices on U.S. households varies according to income. Lower-income households spend a greater portion of their income on food and feel price hikes more acutely than high-income families. Higher food costs impact domestic food assistance efforts in numerous ways depending on whether benefits are indexed, enrollments are limited, or additional funds are made available. Higher food and transportation costs also reduce the impact of U.S. contributions of food aid under current budget constraints."


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## Booked_Spice (27 Apr 2008)

LOL.. Good thing , my neighbor is raising his own beef.. and we already bought a side. I should go purchase some chickens, got the pigs.. I am all set in the meat department.. LOL


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## wildman0101 (27 Apr 2008)

not talking till i see my lawyer...
damn hes here with me,,,, now im in real trouble
                                             cheers,,,
                                             scoty b


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## 1feral1 (27 Apr 2008)

I keep my weekly food bill under 90 bucks..

Here is a typical weekly example, frozen veggies, the usual three, 3kg for about $8

A 5kg bag of potatoes, about $10

3 litres of orange mango juice about $3

5 chook breast at $11/kg usually about $17

1kg snags about $3

1kg of bananas about $1

cat food tins, about $20

Some red meat, scotch fillet about $15, or lamb cutlets about the same. 

The odd pack of cheese, eggs, beer whisky, and milk too, plus butter etc as required.

I buy no name when I can too, except for cat food, they eat better than me.

A Big Mac is about $3.45 for the international 'what is a BM worth in your country' price.


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## Yrys (27 Apr 2008)

Wesley  Down Under said:
			
		

> 1kg snags about $3



Even with a translator, I don't understand that thing... Snag ?


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## Booked_Spice (27 Apr 2008)

I wish my food bill was that low. Wait it is that low, when hubby is not around.

Actually my food bill is cheaper then our animal food bill a month. That is another story and another topic.


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## 1feral1 (27 Apr 2008)

Yrys said:
			
		

> Even with a translator, I don't understand that thing... Snag ?



snags = bangers


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## Yrys (27 Apr 2008)

Wesley  Down Under said:
			
		

> snags = bangers



Translator says banger = tacot. 

So you're speaking of a king of flat breat, right ?


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## Greymatters (27 Apr 2008)

The articles fail to place any blame on other factors that have contributed to this problem, like globalization and the increased ownership of food stocks by multinational corporations.  

Not too many decades ago, food was raised by our farmers, then milled and prepared for sale by Canadian-based and owned businesses.  A small percentage were owned by Americans or British interests.  But for the most part, these items were sold in Canada, with a surplus sold at a profit elsewhere.

Now the picture has changed dramatically.  Food producers are increasingly owned by multinational Corporations who have no loyalty to Canada or its people, and who ship the food products to whoever will pay the highest price.  

There are also far fewer farmers today than there used to be.  Farming is hard work and an increasing percentage of our young people have said 'screw farming, I going to live the good life in the city'.  With fewer farmers growing food, and more people in cities looking to buy food, it is inevitable that food prices would eventually start to skyrocket.  The biofuels has merely given a boost to the steam engine already gathering speed downhill...


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## 1feral1 (27 Apr 2008)

Yrys said:
			
		

> Translator says banger = tacot.
> 
> So you're speaking of a king of flat breat, right ?



Nope, sausages


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## Booked_Spice (27 Apr 2008)

> There are also far fewer farmers today than there used to be.  Farming is hard work and an increasing percentage of our young people have said 'screw farming, I going to live the good life in the city'.  With fewer farmers growing food, and more people in cities looking to buy food, it is inevitable that food prices would eventually start to skyrocket.  The biofuels has merely given a boost to the steam engine already gathering speed downhill...



The reason it is not because it is hard work. Take a look at cattle prices. The price per pound drops but yet the price in the store sky rockets. The middle man makes the buck. It is very expensive to farm. With rising costs and no return. Most farmers I  know, have to work a job in order to support their familes. They have to sell their land to " comercial buyers" because they no longer can afford their family. Farmers had to switch to crops that will give them a profit. Hence the Biofuels.


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## Mike Baker (27 Apr 2008)

Load Up the Pantry




> I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food.
> 
> No, this is not a drill.
> 
> ...


 More on link.


Yeah it's American and such, but still a good read.

Also, I have read on some other sites that the U.S. Gov has bought the whole Mountain House stock they recently had come in, and after looking at their site, they have very litte of anything left to sell. Kind of odd, don't ya think?

I'm going to fire off an email to them today, see what they have to say about that.

Baker


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## Mike Baker (28 Apr 2008)

The food crisis begins to bite



> The food crisis begins to bite
> 
> Rioting in Haiti. Rationing in America. Queues in Egypt. Protests in Afghanistan. As the price of food continues to soar, the impact is being felt by people around the globe
> 
> ...



Intresting, to say the least.
Baker


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## Greymatters (28 Apr 2008)

It is amazing how all these past few decades the greatest fear was a nuclear exchange.  Now we are tottering on the edge of the anarchy due to a worldwide inflation in food prices...


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## a_majoor (28 Apr 2008)

How about a made in Canada crisis?

http://stevejanke.com/archives/261260.php?utm_medium=RSS



> *Stephane Dion: Higher taxes make Canadian food more appealing*
> 
> Maybe there is a subtlety to the economic principles involved that I'm not getting.  But according to Stephane Dion, if I force a Canadian farmer to pay more in taxes, he'll be selling more produce than a foreign farmer who pays none of those taxes.
> 
> ...


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## Greymatters (29 Apr 2008)

Good article!


_(He) is a visionary.  That is to say, he sees visions.  Well, to put it more bluntly, he's seeing things.  _ 

And that's a brilliant phrasing of words...


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