food prices

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In Bolivia, a Quinoa Quandary
 In Bolivia, a Quinoa Quandary 

In Bolivia, a Quinoa Quandary

Popularity means more money for farmers, but people can't afford it

(Newser) - Quinoa is a food so remarkable it's been praised by NASA scientists—and Americans and Europeans have taken note, gobbling up the protein-heavy Andean plant (generally miscategorized as a grain), which sells for as much as $5 a box. But with quinoa's ascent comes a troubling predicament for the Bolivians...

US Food Prices See Biggest Rise in 36 Years

Rough winter accounts for much of 3.9% increase

(Newser) - Americans are noticing higher prices at the grocery store, and it's about to get worse. Food prices at the wholesale level rose last month by the most in 36 years. Cold weather accounted for most of it, forcing stores and restaurants to pay more for green peppers, lettuce, and other...

Food Prices Climb to Record High

February sees eighth straight month of increase

(Newser) - World food prices climbed for the eighth straight month in February, hitting a record high, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization announced today. The organization’s price index climbed 2.2%, to an average of 236 points, according to the Wall Street Journal , the highest level since records began...

Ten Countries With Fastest Rising Food Prices

Droughts make matters worse in Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, elsewhere

(Newser) - Between June and December 2010, 44 million people across the world were pushed into poverty by rising food prices. The price of many agricultural commodities increased by more than 25%, and for many countries that rely heavily on grains such as wheat for sustenance, prices may not go back down...

Wary of Unrest, Countries Hoard Food Staples

...which in turn makes prices rise even more

(Newser) - With food prices on the rise, developing countries are stockpiling staples like wheat and rice in an attempt to stave off social unrest and panic buying—driving prices yet higher. Wheat hit a two-and-a-half-year high yesterday, after Algeria bought 800,000 tons of it and Saudi Arabia announced it was...

Davos Brimming With Optimism for 'New Reality'

But rising food prices, political uncertainty are cause for concern

(Newser) - The Davos World Economic Forum is an optimistic place this year—the theme is “Shared Norms for the New Reality,” meaning the post-financial-crisis reality. In a poll, 48% of the assembled CEOs said they were “very confident” of growth in the next 12 months, according to the...

UN Relief Can't Keep Up With World's Hunger

World Food Program is short nearly $3 billion

(Newser) - The UN's food aid agency has only about half the money it needs to feed the world's hungry as rises in food prices take their toll, the AP reports. The World Food Program is $2.8 billion short of what it needs, says director Josette Sheera, and the shortfall is...

Bacon Prices Sizzling, With No End in Sight

A pound is up to a record $4.77

(Newser) - October retail bacon prices were up 33% over last year's figures and increased for the fifth month in a row. A pound is now $4.77—the highest monthly average, unadjusted for inflation, since records started being kept in 1980, reports Pork magazine. And pork isn't the only meat commodity...

Glenn Beck's Advice: Sell Your Stuff!

Prices are rising, and you should be prepared, he warns

(Newser) - Now that Glenn Beck has convinced you to buy gold , he has a new directive: Sell all your stuff. Prices are going up, he said last night, and a study shows that the average American has $25,000 worth of things they're not using, Mediaite reports. So sell it, and...

Inflation Begins Creeping Into Food Prices

Chains, retailers struggling with how much consumers can take

(Newser) - Despite low overall inflation, the price of basic foods is rising, presenting food companies with a dilemma: do they let rising costs erode profits, or raise prices while demand remains weak? Milk, beef, coffee, and sugar have all seen price spikes, driven by growing demand in China, India, and developing...

You'll Be Paying More for Bread Soon

Blame parched Russia, which is stopping wheat exports

(Newser) - Russia today said it would ban wheat exports for the rest of the year amid a brutal drought, sending prices for the grain soaring to their highest level in two years. The upshot is that US shoppers will likely have to pay a bit more for bread, cereal, or pasta...

$8 for Dozen Eggs? Why It's a Good Deal

Food is too artificially cheap, argues Michael Pollan

(Newser) - Foodie reformer Michael Pollan continues his "pay more, eat less" crusade in an interview with the Wall Street Journal , arguing that $8 for a dozen eggs should be standard fare. It sounds absurd, "but when you think that you can make a delicious meal from two eggs, that'...

Farmers Tear Gassed at Sarkozy's Palace

Angry protesters dump hay to action against falling incomes

(Newser) - Hay bales were met with tear gas as French farmers protested outside Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential palace early this morning. Police moved in after the farmers dumped hay outside the palace, forcing the roughly 100 protesters into a side street, AP reports. The aggrieved farmers complain that the government isn't doing...

This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner: $42.91

Price of turkey with all the trimmings drops the most since 2000

(Newser) - The cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal—enough turkey and trimmings to feed 10—comes in at $42.91 this year. That's down nearly 4%, or about $1.70, from last year and the biggest drop in price since 2000, says the American Farm Bureau survey. The biggest factors are...

Soaring Price of Wings Begets Boneless Substitutes

Perplexed eateries switch breast strips for once-cheaper wings

(Newser) - In a sign of a poultry market apocalypse, chicken wings are now more expensive than skinless, boneless chicken breast, because chicken wings are cheaper. Wait, what? Strange but true: thanks to the recession, restaurants are ordering less chicken breast, the New York Times explains, while consumers buy more of the...

Supermarkets Slash Prices

 Supermarkets Slash Prices 
 

Supermarkets Slash Prices

Deflation stalks the aisles; Safeway cuts below profit point

(Newser) - Americans are getting a big break on the price of food, as the recession drives down the cost of wheat, milk, and other staples, and supermarkets fight feverishly for sales. After a year of dramatic increases, commodities are way down—the price of corn, for instance, is down 56% since...

Economic 'Mismatches' Mean Food Crisis Is Here to Stay

(Newser) - The various sectors of the global economy have become so entwined with food production that prices are acting in a very “puzzling” manner, the Economist reports. Last year, the market responded rationally to the global food crisis of 2007-08, increasing production and thus lowering prices. But with another bumper...

UN: Hunger Affects Record 1B
 UN: Hunger Affects Record 1B 

UN: Hunger Affects Record 1B

Food program directors warn that hunger crisis threatens world peace

(Newser) - United Nations food officials warn that a record 1 billion people worldwide aren't getting enough to eat, the BBC reports. The UN said the number of people affected by hunger—defined as getting less than 1,800 calories daily—has jumped by 100 million people over the last year because...

Veggie Gardens Thrive in Lean Times

Seed sales set records amid recession

(Newser) - Sales of vegetable seeds are skyrocketing this season and experts say it’s not just the local food movement or Michelle Obama’s First Garden that’s driving the craze. Americans hit hard by the recession are slashing grocery bills by growing their own, as evidenced by a 30% spike...

Chadian 'Vampire' Dish Gets Blood Boiling ... or Frying

(Newser) - There’s a vampire resurgence in Chad, and no, it’s not because Twilight has swept the African country. Cost-conscious residents have resurrected a dish slyly known as “vampire”: cooked animal blood, the BBC reports. With global food prices soaring and meat increasingly expensive, traditional vampire is “actually...

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