Food-Related Inflation

Above is a photographic representation of the food pyramid, from which one derives a balanced and wholesome diet. It is these very staples whose prices have gone through the roof in the past year, in another example of the U.S.'s flagging economy.


FOOD-RELATED INFLATION
by Kentroversy

The last time I visited my local grocery store -- Wegman's of Rochester, NY USA because they are locally owned -- I paid SIX DOLLARS for a jar of pickles! Prices across the board seem to have come unhinged, and appear to be rocketing toward the stratosphere, with no relief in sight. It seems that the basic and most important staples are getting the worst of it.

Two months ago, Wegman's featured cherries in their produce department. I was all ready to buy some until I saw the price -- $5.99 a pound! I like cherries, but not THAT much!! Milk is now $4.00 a gallon, and bread -- just plain ol' wheat bread is $3.00 for a 20-slice loaf, and so on down the line. I have included a chart below that reports the situation to which I refer here.


Above is a chart that indicates the food-related price increases from December 2006 to December 2007 [CLICK GRAPHIC TO ENLARGE]. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.


What is going on here? Aren't we supposed to be the most self-sufficient society on the planet? I am more and more convinced that that country no longer exists, and we have been left in our own misery, accepting whatever scraps the Corporatocracy decides we deserve, and at what price. The price increases in 2007 were the highest in fifteen years -- with April 2007 alone contributing a 3.9% across the board increase -- a pace that calculates to 46.8% per year!

The dirty little secret, which I will share with you now, is that AmeriKa EXPORTS a large percentage of the foodstuffs grown here, and this places us in the subservient position of having to IMPORT nearly all our fresh produce, for one example. Additionally, large parcels of land that used to grow food, are now being used to harvest biofuels. This too contributes to rising food prices, because less of it is being produced.

As I write this, I am snacking on some white seedless grapes. They clearly say on the bag that they are a product of Chile.

Well, thank GOD they aren't from China!!!

Hardest hit of all the staples are eggs, which experienced a 36% increase in one year -- resulting in fewer poor people eating eggs. Organic free-range eggs are about $5.25 a dozen at our local health food store. Tomatoes are next, with a 31% price increase over this same period. Whole Milk was up 28.8% -- as I said, my local grocer now sells their milk for $4.00 a gallon. White flour posted price increases of 25%, which is totally outrageous.

And its' going to get worse, folks.

I have noticed that all the canned SHIT like vegetables, syrupy canned fruit, and canned fish and seafood -- their prices have held to UNDER a 5% increase. So, it is on all the fresh products that they are reaming us and our pocketbooks.

And those RAMEN NOODLE 'OODLES OF NOODLES' instant soups are still $0.15 a serving ...

Just so nobody will totally starve ... mighty nice of them, huh?


© 2008 Kentroversy Papers
All rights reserved. Used with permission.


Sources:

The following sources were used in the creation of this Kentroversy Paper . . .

Rising Food Prices Lifts US Inflation - Reuters (February 20, 2008)

Food Prices on the Rise - The Sustainable Table (May 17, 2007)

Rising Food Prices Take a Bigger Paycheck Bite: Here's What You Can Do About The Escalating Price of Groceries by Jennnifer Openshaw - MarketWatch (June 13, 2007)

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics