Mother Talkers

Food prices soar around the world; NY Times documents rise in organic prices

by NJmom

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 08:17:00 AM PDT

I've been buying basically the same list of groceries for months, and the bill just keeps ticking up and up.  Apparently, it's not just in my head; food prices really are on the rise.  

According to a recent NY Times article, food prices in general have been rising, with organic food prices holding, at least for the past year or so.  Well, that's over, according to the article. In many parts of the country, a loaf of organic bread is going for $4.50, a gallon of organic milk over $7, a pound of organic pasta is $3 and a dozen organic eggs $5.

Some reasons:

Organic prices are rising for many of the same reasons affecting conventional food prices: higher fuel costs, rising demand and a tight supply of the grains needed for animal feed and bakery items. In fact, demand for organic wheat, soybeans and corn is so great that farmers are receiving unheard-of prices.

Blame ethanol?

“There has been no new surge of land going into organic,” said Lynn Clarkson, who buys organic grain as president of Clarkson Grain in central Illinois. “We are having to compete with this ethanol juggernaut,” he added, referring to the growing use of field corn for fuel.

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According to Laurie Demeritt, a market researcher quoted in the article, people will most likely pick and choose, perhaps buying organic milk, but skipping the organic cereal, as prices continue to soar.

The NY Times also found a couple that doesn't seem too fazed:

At the Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op in St. Paul, Shaun Hainey, 26, said he had quit smoking and cut back on drinking and “superfluous recreational spending, like going skiing.” But he and his wife, Cassandra Hainey, have not cut back on organic food.

“We don’t foresee a price level at which we’d stop shopping organic,” he said.

Keeping things in perspective, around the world, increasing prices for such staples,including rice, have been causing riots and political unrest.  

Have you felt the sting of rising grocery bills, whether for organic or conventional foods?  Have you switched up your grocery or diet strategy in response?

Tags: food (all tags)

Permalink | 32 comments

  • I have seen (0 / 0)

    the cost of a gallon of organic milk go from 4.99 to 5.29 in the last week. I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

    by Lisa in Austin on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 11:31:27 AM PDT

  • It's all going up (0 / 0)

    I already do some strategic shopping with regards to organic vs. inorganic.  For example, usually I don't go for the organic bananas as the peels probably already protect them from most pesticides and we aren't eating that part.  Also local wins out over organic when most of the stuff is in season.  I am also in that dying breed of the coupon clipper.

    The reports about hunger increasing due to the food costs rising around the world is troubling.  It's hard to enjoy what we have when I think of the suffering and the share of that responsibility belongs to our dear leader.  How many more months now?

    by music teacher on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 11:58:19 AM PDT

    • Top 10 list (0 / 0)

      I buy organic produce that is on the top 10 list (carries the most pesticide residue):

      apples
      bell peppers
      celery
      cherries
      imported grapes
      nectarines
      peaches
      pears
      potatoes
      raspberries
      strawberries
      spinach

      The following are the least contaminated so I buy conventional (but try to buy local or at least from this hemisphere!):
      asparagus
      avocados
      bananas
      broccoli
      cauliflower
      sweet corn
      kiwi
      mango
      onion
      papaya
      pineapples
      peas

      For the middle of the road stuff, I buy organic when I can.

      by GiGi on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 12:11:51 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • pesticides (or more likey fungicides) for us! (0 / 0)

        Organic berries in small doses induce diarrhea in my younger son; large doses induce major vomiting.  Strawberries are his favorite food but he knows not to touch them at the farmers' market.  Other organic fruits are not as bad, but still can cause problems sometimes if not peeled or washed.  But we've never had a problem with conventional supermarket fruit, and he's eaten half pound of strawberries at one sitting.  

        We don't know what it is he's sensitive to, but I'll lay odds it's fungal.

        by lyn on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 08:58:31 PM PDT

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        • Yup. (0 / 0)

          I do buy some organic stuff because I worry about the way that we're farming. I prefer local produce from producers that I know are doing the right things (with or without small amounts of pesticides and fungicides). But as a biologist, I've always said that I'm way more worried about biological contaminants than chemical ones. Give me DDT over E.coli on my veggies any day.

          by aussieyank on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 06:50:20 AM PDT

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          • Interesting point (0 / 0)

            Give me DDT over E.coli on my veggies any day.

            and not one I'd heard before...can you elaborate for us non-scientific types?

            Thanks!

            by GiGi on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 08:42:53 AM PDT

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            • only because (0 / 0)

              You can almost drink DDT (not that I'd recommend it). It's not great for birds, but it isn't actually that bad for people. E. coli can make you sick and kill you. As Lyn says below...Mother Nature is a bad ass. The stuff that she has made is way worse for us than the stuff we make ourselves.

              by aussieyank on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 05:08:43 PM PDT

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              • Organic or not? (0 / 0)

                I see your argument but I'm not sure it is enough to sway me away from the top 10 organic. Perhaps the best solution is to purchase local/seasonal produce and buy organic milk and eggs. I don't know. What do you do, aussieyank and lyn and our other scientists out there?

                by GiGi on Fri Apr 25, 2008 at 05:43:28 AM PDT

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                • what we do (0 / 0)

                  Crop protection is DH's field; he's currently at a company that does organic crop protection but has also done pesticide development with a conventional large multinational.  Me, I try to buy produce as much as possible from our farmers market, which is year-round and excellent. But Mr International Pesticide Expert?  He buys conventional and often can't be bothered to rinse the fruit off.

                  Most organic milk isn't from pastured cows, so it doesn't address the health issues I care about (feeding grains to a ruminant is biologically inappropriate).  rBST doesn't bother me.  So I'm not willing to pay the premium, even though I am concerned about antibiotic misuse.  

                  by lyn on Fri Apr 25, 2008 at 08:30:38 AM PDT

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                • Wasn't really an argument against organic. (0 / 0)

                  I still don't really want to eat pesticides...it was a just a comment about which one I would RATHER eat if it came down to it. I'd still choose neither. :)

                  But I attempt to buy our meat and produce from farmers that I know at our local farmers market. They may not be certified organic (it's pretty expensive to get that certification), but I know that if they say their lambs are happy, they are. And I can visit their farms to see that their soil is good and their plants are thriving. I'd love to buy organic pasture fed milk, but my kids tear through it so fast that I can only manage maybe 2 litres out of 5. The qualifications for  these things are also different here in Oz. I would buy anything "organic" from the supermarket in the US. I just don't believe the big corporations. At all.

                  But I'm a geneticist/biologist, not a nutritionist or pesticide chemist. There's no reason why my opinion is any better than anyone else's...I just know WAY too much about the way we eat and metabolize things. Which is usually a handicap more than anything else. :)

                  by aussieyank on Fri Apr 25, 2008 at 05:31:52 PM PDT

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          • Word. (0 / 0)

            Non-biologists don't seem to appreciate what a nasty mother***ker Mother Nature really is.  :-)

            The Sigma chemical catalog had a separate list of their most dangerous chemicals; these could not be purchased without special authorization and their use had to be justified and approved.  I think nearly all were natural products.  Alpha-amanitin, botulism toxin, anthrax toxin, neurotoxic venoms, . . . .

            by lyn on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 11:17:19 AM PDT

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  • Yes, I've noticed too (0 / 0)

    I haven't been watching specific prices but I can see that I've not changed my shopping habits and I'm paying a lot more at the counter. I'm grateful that we have room to cut back but I'm concerned about those families that were already operating on a tight budget before this crunch.

    "We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"

    by progressiveinky on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 12:13:17 PM PDT

    • DH and I (0 / 0)

      had to have this discussion last night. We are so tight on money right now and he can't seem to figure it out. He thinks I'm buying frivolous stuff or some such nonsense. Well, hello, gas prices and groceries are killing us (not to mention my son's $500/month medical bills). Granted, we are not going to starve, we live in a big house and won't be forced to foreclose, and will indeed manage. We will have to cut out some extras, however and/or I will need to get a part time job. Not the end of the world and it makes me feel bad when we start the pity party because of all the people who are hanging on by a thread - or who's thread has just snapped.

      by GiGi on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 12:18:27 PM PDT

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    • me too (0 / 0)

      I haven't been watching specific prices either, although I am going to have to start, but I can see the total ticking up each week.

      by NJmom on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 12:38:23 PM PDT

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  • Ethanol is a racket (0 / 0)

    It is not cleaner really.  What we need is a REAL alternative and more fuel efficent engines.  Ehtanol is another way to up corn production.  It is a rip off.  They can make ethanol from grass or pine.  If you want to lower your grocery bill and make a difference in the environment dont eat meat.  You dont need it to be healthy and will be healthier without it.  My hope is the high prices of fuel will force people to drive less and auto makers to make more fuel efficient cars and the high prices of food will make people eat less animal flesh.  If more people ate less meat there would be a lot less heart diease, high cholesterol and diabetes.  Then we would use less drugs to control those conditions.  Those drugs would then not end up in our drinking water.  So, dont eat meat.  It does so much good for you and everyone else.

    by summer day on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 01:26:50 PM PDT

    • I can't find a way to articulate (0 / 0)

      how much I hate the whole ethanol shuck and how much I dispise GWB for pushing it. It is madness and total immorality to use food staples to  generate energy so we can continue to drive inefficient cars while others in the world starve.

      by Rachel on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 03:31:22 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • agreed (0 / 0)

        Incentivising ethanol production from corn is one of the most insanely destructive things our administration has done.  And considering that this is an administration that specializes in insane destruction, that's really saying something.

        I also agree that cutting back on meat is one of the healthiest things anyone can do for themselves and the environment both.  No downsides, it's benefits all around.

        by lyn on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 09:31:10 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        • absolutely (0 / 0)

          I'm not going vegetarian by a long shot, but I've resolved to myself to step up the number of meat-free days per week for the family; currently, I do one or two per week. I'd like to get that up to three or even four, if I can sneak it past the husband.

          by Rachel on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 10:09:56 PM PDT

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  • reduing your footprint and grocery bill (0 / 0)

    http://veganbits.com/...

    Eating locally does not do as much for the environment as giving up meat just one day a week.  

    by summer day on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 01:37:50 PM PDT

    • Back in my meal-planning days... (0 / 0)

      I tried to do this every week.  Normally succeeded.  Does eating dairy in the meatless meal count?

      Once I'm done with pregnancy and food issues, I will go back to doing this.  Right now, its just eat whatever I can get down without retching.

      by tessajp on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 03:41:42 AM PDT

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      • If eggs and cheese (0 / 0)

        are allowed, I could probably go meatless 3 days a week.  I have to have good protein sources, but I could honestly live on cheese and eggs work well for me, too.

        We generally do meatless about one day a week.  I might get my family to go up to two...but other than me, three or more would be pushing it.

        by tjb22 on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 10:51:04 AM PDT

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    • Up until recently (0 / 0)

      My son needed meat.  He has nut and egg allergies and was also allergic to soy.  Thank goodness he outgrew the soy allergy but he wouldn't have had protein if not for meat.

      by music teacher on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 08:43:36 AM PDT

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  • Oh my God, yes. (0 / 0)

    Just a couple of weeks ago, we went to the produce market we shop at.  I about fell on the floor...prices had literally soared in the space of two weeks!  Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes all increased in price.  Cucumbers and tomatoes were nearly doubled!

    I buy other groceries at Aldi, and so far, I haven't noticed too much of a difference recently, but I do know that what I get for, say $150-$200 isn't nearly what I got for that amount a year or so ago.

    by tjb22 on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 01:38:38 PM PDT

    • This is what I have noticed (0 / 0)

      that my weekly grocery bill has gone up by about 20%. Each week I am looking in my bags thinking, "what did I buy that cost so much more?" but I have figured out now that it just the cost of everything going up.

      by Lisa in Austin on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 07:59:04 PM PDT

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      • And if the cost is not going up, (0 / 0)

        the quantity is going down.  What used to be a five pound bag of chicken breasts is now a three pound bag.  And the best trick I've seen yet?  A few weeks ago, my son wanted a few cans of ravioli.  We bought the Chef Boyardee brand.  Looked the same as always.  Opened the can to find far few raviolis because the thickness of the can had been increased in the most remarkable way.

        by tjb22 on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 08:07:30 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  • historical perspective (0 / 0)

    This froma USDA pamphlet that I found on the web. It gives some perspective, but doesn't make the current situation easier. Note that the initial year is 1929, beginning of the Great Depression. Andthe end date is 1997. I don't know what the percent is today.

    Food spending has increased considerably over the
    years, but the increase has not matched the gain in
    disposable income (the amount of money families
    and individuals have available to spend or save). As a result, the percentage of income spent for food has
    declined. In 1929, the first year data of this
    type were recorded, 23.9 percent of disposable
    income was spent for food. This percentage has since
    tapered off fractionally almost every year. By 1970,
    the percentage had dropped to 13.8 percent. During
    the 1970��s, the percentage held fairly constant
    because of high food-price inflation. By 1980, food
    spending was still 13.4 percent of disposable income,
    but has since declined steadily to reach a low of 10.7 percent in 1997 .

    by SF Mom of One on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 01:45:35 PM PDT

  • DH complains everyday. (0 / 0)

    Right now, we shop daily to accomodate the whims of the  fetus.  And DH is complaining mightily.  (He does the shopping.)  It doesn't help that my pregnant brain has left many cartons of organic milk out in the morning and ruined them.  My local farmer's market opens in a few weeks (can't wait!) and I am afraid of what the prices will look like.

    I don't understand, though, the ethanol thing.  Is the market really so huge that it's having this big of an effect on prices?  The price of rice has doubled--that's not ethanol.  Its very scary, IMHO, because no one is talking about this ending, or how we get out of it.  

    I have to start donating to the local food bank, and renew my donations to the Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children.  I'm lucky, and can still afford food, and the situation is still stressing me out.  I can't imagine what it must be like to not be able to feed your children.

    by tessajp on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 03:45:55 AM PDT

    • Ethanol (0 / 0)

      It is now abundantly clear that food-to-fuel mandates are leading to increased environmental damage. First, producing ethanol requires huge amounts of energy -- most of which comes from coal. Second, the production process creates a number of hazardous byproducts, and some production facilities are reportedly dumping these in local water sources.

      Third, food-to-fuel mandates are helping drive up the price of agricultural staples, leading to significant changes in land use with major environmental harm. Here in the United States, farmers are pulling land out of the federal conservation program, threatening fragile habitats.

      This is from a good summary article in the Washington Post that outlines the failure of ethanol on multiple fronts. You might have to register (free) to read it.

      The whole thing makes me so furious.  Is there anything Bush can't ruin for us??

      by happy clam on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 05:48:14 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

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