Ted Aljibe, AFP / Getty Images
A customer, right, buys vegetables at a market in Manila. Global food prices rose for an eighth straight month, and the current spike in oil costs could drive record prices even higher, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warned.
Here's the link to the article released yesterday:
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/03/mideast-turmoil-risks-fueling-record-global-food-inflation/
Points of Interest
- Wheat, rice and maize prices have gone up 3.7% since February 2011
- Cost of food in the US has gone up 2.1%
- Global food prices have gone up to the highest point recorded
- Every food group but sugar has gone up in February (report of the past 12 months)
- Demand, harvest and global recession have driven up the food prices
- Food prices expected to climb even further due to oil concerns (cost of transportation will go up)
Laurie Garrett touched upon this today during her talk at USC. It's really a global health crisis and so closely linked to so many other health problems, and, of course, disproportionately affects the poor. You're seeing more than ever, kids <5 years who are obese, bc of lack of availability and affordability of healthy food options. Huge problem. Food is definitely something we, or the middle-upper class at least, take for granted.
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