Hi WiNaDeYo,
The article about food prices is a little outdated. Fresh produce here in Brazil have almost quadrupled over the last six months.
As a small farmer it doesn't make that much difference to me. I decided to keep what I grow only for myself and friends instead of selling it. It is almost beginning to be more valuable to me than the price I would get for selling it, as if I sold it, I would have to spend more on replacing it with another foodstuff (if you know what I mean).
Eventually this will rise in fresh produce will trickle through to manufactured food, however the manufacurers will try to keep their prices stable by replacing natural ingredients with, well, cheaper manufactured ingredients instead!
Instead of sugar, sacharrin, instead of chocolate, flavourings, I know everybody is screaming, "But they're already doing that!" But the tendency is to try to make synthetic foods more 'radical' to keep the prices more affordable for the poorer people in modern society.
Here in Brazil, the government released government stocked beans to reduce the price, as last year beans were costing almost the same price as beef! With fresh corn prices on the rise, this will eventually trickle through to dried cornseed, which will pass on to animal producers (especially chicken) and this will, of course be passed down to the consumer.
Animal producers are already adding more water to their products, as they did in the UK in the 1980's when I worked in a town called Todwick. They injected ham shanks with brine to add weight to the hams and also enhance the flavour, fight off bacteria and give them more shelf life.
So the next time you buy chicken in the supermarket, some can be actually 20% water.
All of this is happening with the population at the level that it is.
Exponential population growth is a cruel thing. In another ten years, when the elderly are older and the frail are healthy and schools are bursting to the brim with happy smiling children, what will the food producers do then?
Supply and demand. There is a limit as to how much food can be supplied. When the demand surpasses the supply the price will go up.
Something to chew the cud over I suppose.
Best regards,
Steve
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Originally Posted by WiNaDeYo
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