Food Price Watch Thread

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caltrek
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

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I wish some of this recent discussion had been placed in the Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture thread. Still, not a big problem that it was posted here instead.

Getting back to the immediate issue of food prices and the current impact of that situation:

Millions More Kids Going Hungry Since GOP, Manchin Killed Expanded Child Tax Credit
by Kenny Stancil
May 20, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) A new analysis out Friday confirms that the number of U.S. households with kids that report not having enough food to eat has surged in the months since corporate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia joined Senate Republicans in refusing to extend the expanded Child Tax Credit benefit beyond mid-December.

Data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a nationally representative internet survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that from April 27 to May 9, 15% of households with children reported food insufficiency—defined as sometimes or often not having enough food to eat in the past week. In early August, the percentage of families with kids that reported struggling with hunger was roughly 9.5%.

Food has become more expensive in recent months as a handful of corporate grocery giants and meat, egg, and dairy conglomerates have raised prices while cutting frontline worker pay and raking in record profits amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. But Manchin and the GOP's decision to allow the enhanced CTC benefit to expire at the end of last year is making it even harder for millions of families to make ends meet.

Right-wing lawmakers let the enlarged CTC lapse despite ample evidence that the popular measure improved the lives of children nationwide. In January, the first month since July 2021 that eligible families didn't receive a monthly payment of up to $300 per child, 3.7 million kids were thrown into poverty.
Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/ ... tax-credit

caltrek's comment: I think that this is yet one more example of how the Democrats (excluding Manchin and Sinema) are so much better than the Republicans. It still continues to amaze and depress me that others insist on maintaining that there is an equivalency of the two parties.
Don't mourn, organize.

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funkervogt
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

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By invading ukraine, Vladimir Putin will destroy the lives of people far from the battlefield—and on a scale even he may regret. The war is battering a global food system weakened by covid-19, climate change and an energy shock. Ukraine’s exports of grain and oilseeds have mostly stopped and Russia’s are threatened. Together, the two countries supply 12% of traded calories. Wheat prices, up 53% since the start of the year, jumped a further 6% on May 16th, after India said it would suspend exports because of an alarming heatwave.

The widely accepted idea of a cost-of-living crisis does not begin to capture the gravity of what may lie ahead. António Guterres, the un secretary general, warned on May 18th that the coming months threaten “the spectre of a global food shortage” that could last for years. The high cost of staple foods has already raised the number of people who cannot be sure of getting enough to eat by 440m, to 1.6bn. Nearly 250m are on the brink of famine. If, as is likely, the war drags on and supplies from Russia and Ukraine are limited, hundreds of millions more people could fall into poverty. Political unrest will spread, children will be stunted and people will starve.
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/ ... atastrophe
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raklian
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

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funkervogt wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 5:59 pm
By invading ukraine, Vladimir Putin will destroy the lives of people far from the battlefield—and on a scale even he may regret. The war is battering a global food system weakened by covid-19, climate change and an energy shock. Ukraine’s exports of grain and oilseeds have mostly stopped and Russia’s are threatened. Together, the two countries supply 12% of traded calories. Wheat prices, up 53% since the start of the year, jumped a further 6% on May 16th, after India said it would suspend exports because of an alarming heatwave.

The widely accepted idea of a cost-of-living crisis does not begin to capture the gravity of what may lie ahead. António Guterres, the un secretary general, warned on May 18th that the coming months threaten “the spectre of a global food shortage” that could last for years. The high cost of staple foods has already raised the number of people who cannot be sure of getting enough to eat by 440m, to 1.6bn. Nearly 250m are on the brink of famine. If, as is likely, the war drags on and supplies from Russia and Ukraine are limited, hundreds of millions more people could fall into poverty. Political unrest will spread, children will be stunted and people will starve.
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/ ... atastrophe

Wheat crisis opens door for huge indoor farming potential

https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9419 ... potential/

Just read around the annoying "subscriber" box while you scroll down.
To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
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funkervogt
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

Post by funkervogt »

raklian wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 6:14 pm
funkervogt wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 5:59 pm
By invading ukraine, Vladimir Putin will destroy the lives of people far from the battlefield—and on a scale even he may regret. The war is battering a global food system weakened by covid-19, climate change and an energy shock. Ukraine’s exports of grain and oilseeds have mostly stopped and Russia’s are threatened. Together, the two countries supply 12% of traded calories. Wheat prices, up 53% since the start of the year, jumped a further 6% on May 16th, after India said it would suspend exports because of an alarming heatwave.

The widely accepted idea of a cost-of-living crisis does not begin to capture the gravity of what may lie ahead. António Guterres, the un secretary general, warned on May 18th that the coming months threaten “the spectre of a global food shortage” that could last for years. The high cost of staple foods has already raised the number of people who cannot be sure of getting enough to eat by 440m, to 1.6bn. Nearly 250m are on the brink of famine. If, as is likely, the war drags on and supplies from Russia and Ukraine are limited, hundreds of millions more people could fall into poverty. Political unrest will spread, children will be stunted and people will starve.
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/ ... atastrophe

Wheat crisis opens door for huge indoor farming potential

https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9419 ... potential/

Just read around the annoying "subscriber" box while you scroll down.
It can't be scaled up in time.
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raklian
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

Post by raklian »

funkervogt wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:55 pm
raklian wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 6:14 pm

Wheat crisis opens door for huge indoor farming potential

https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9419 ... potential/

Just read around the annoying "subscriber" box while you scroll down.
It can't be scaled up in time.
The article is not trying to say that. This crisis, just like skyrocketing oil prices led to offshore and shale oil extraction, is creating an opportunity to channel greater amount of investment flows into indoor farming technology, particularly in wheat production.
To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
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caltrek
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

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Record Heat, Snow Impact Crops Across the Country
by Craig Levitt
May 25, 2022

Conclusion:
(The Produce News) Warm weather and rain are also forcing central Florida to wrap up its tomato season a week early, adding pressure to a reduced Mexican supply. Within the next two weeks, Quincy, FL, and south Georgia should pick up production and provide relief to the vine-ripe and the mature green round markets, Campbell said. Tomato markets in Florida are currently at $19.

Plum and grape-type markets are also priced higher due to short supply. Plum-type tomatoes are just barely short of a 10-year high, and grape-type prices are at a nine-year high. “Baja, Mexico, should pick up production over the next couple of weeks and ease overextended Roma and grape tomato supply. Additionally, June usually marks the increased availability of locally grown tomatoes as more domestic regions come online for the summer,” Campbell said.

Campbell reported that Brussels sprout prices are up for the seventh week due to low supply. He said extreme heat in Mexico is causing plants to bolt and reducing overall yields. Supply is expected to stay lean for another two weeks until domestic production picks up.

Celery prices are down slightly; however, supply is still on the leaner side this week. Lime prices are also off, down for the fifth straight week. “Prices are now a very reasonable $16 and may even drop further,” said Campbell.

Parsley prices are still at a 10-year high as recent heat in California triggered seeders and continues to cause shortages across the industry. “As a result, expect prices to stay elevated for the immediate future,” said Campbell.
Source: https://theproducenews.com/headlines/re ... ss-country

caltrek: So, Democrats have been warning about the negative impacts of global climate change for years, if not decades. A problem Republicans have ignored and concerning which they have been in denial. Democrat Joe Biden gets elected into office as the problem seriously adds to inflation woes. So, who gets blamed for said inflation?

Why, the Democrats, of course.
Don't mourn, organize.

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caltrek
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

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Assuming higher import volume will result in lower (or at least stabile) prices, there is some good news:

Record Avocado Supplies Coming from Peru
by Tim Linden
My 26, 2022

Introduction:
(Produce News) The first shipments of Peru’s ample avocado supplies landed on U.S. shores in late March. The latest projection points to the country’s avocado exporters sending almost 240 million pounds of fruit to the U.S. market by the time the last piece of fruit is sold sometime in October, which would be about a 25 percent increase over 2021 and the largest volume the South American country has ever shipped to the United States.

The bulk of those supplies will arrive in the U.S. market from mid-June through September. Relaying input from each of the importing countries, the Hass Avocado Board publishes a weekly snapshot of shipments with both projections looking forward and accurate shipments reports as they occur. The “Volume Date & Projections” report on the HAB website reveals that the first 140,000 pounds of Peruvian fruit were shipped to the U.S. market during the week ending March 27. Until mid-May, supplies trickled in, never topping 500,000 pounds in any given week. As a point of reference, the U.S. market consumes about 50-55 million pounds per week on average.

In mid-May, Peru’s number significantly increased, and volume is expected to grow quickly as summer dawns and matures. Peru shipped almost 2 million pounds the week ending May 15 with volume projected to approach 6 million pounds in the week ending with the publication of this issue. Volume is expected to top 10 million pounds during the week ending June 19 and peak at more than 20 million pounds. For a seven-week period from early July to mid-August, volume is projected to top 17 million pounds each week, representing about one of every three avocados consumed in the United States. Peru is estimating shipments above 10 million pounds on a weekly basis from mid-June through August, tapering off in September and concluding by October 10.

Xavier Equihua, president and CEO of the Peruvian Avocado Commission, believes that this season is a harbinger of things to come. He said Peru continues to increase its own production with the United States being a very important market to Peruvian grower-shippers. Europe is still the number one destination for an avocado from Peru, but Equihua said the U.S. is an excellent market as it is the largest market and growing at the fastest clip.

Distributors of avocados in the United States are like-minded and are upping their Peruvian footprint.
Read more here: https://theproducenews.com/avocados/rec ... oming-peru
Don't mourn, organize.

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weatheriscool
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

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Inflation moderated in April but was still close to its highest level in 40 years.

An index closely followed by economists and investors climbed 6.3 percent last month from a year ago.

By Ben Casselman
May 27, 2022
Updated 9:17 a.m. ET
An important measure of consumer prices showed that inflation slowed in April, but remained close to a four-decade high. ... The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index rose 0.2 percent last month from March and was up 6.3 percent from a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Friday. That is down from a 6.6 percent annual increase in March, which represented the fastest pace of inflation since 1982.

Economists and investors closely watch the index, an alternative to the better-known Consumer Price Index, because the Federal Reserve prefers it as a measure of inflation. The central bank has been raising interest rates and announced that it will begin paring asset purchases in a bid to cool the economy and tame inflation.

The slowdown in inflation in April was largely the result of a drop in the price of gasoline and other energy sources. Gas prices soared in February and March largely because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, then moderated somewhat in April. They have risen again in recent weeks, however, which could push measures of inflation back up in May. Food prices have also been rising quickly in recent months, a pattern that continued in April. ... Stripping out the volatile food and fuel categories, consumer prices were up 4.9 percent in April from a year earlier. That core measure, which some economists view as a more reliable guide to the underlying rate of inflation, was up 0.3 percent from a month earlier, little changed from the rate of increase in March.

The comparatively tame increase in core prices in the data released Friday stood in contrast to the sharp acceleration in the equivalent measure in the Consumer Price Index report released by the Labor Department this month. The divergence was mostly the result of differences in the way the two measures count airline fares, however, and economists said the Fed was unlikely to take much comfort from the Commerce Department data.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/busi ... april.html
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caltrek
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Russia’s War Created a Global Hunger Disaster. Climate Change Is Ramping It Up.
by Tom Philpott
June 1, 2022

Introduction:
(Mother Jones) Back in February, Russia invaded Ukraine, turning Europe’s main wheat-growing region—a key source of grain and cooking oil for the Middle East and Africa—into a war zone. Global food prices had already been rising steadily for a year, pushed up by supply chain snarls brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The war sent them soaring anew, to the highest levels since 1961, when the United Nations began tracking. On top of this, global public-health authorities warn that weather extremes related to climate change are wilting crops and shrinking harvests in alarming ways—setting the stage for what could be the worst hunger crisis in generations.

At a meeting of the United Nations on May 18, Secretary-General António Guterres reported that the number of “severely food insecure people” had doubled in just two years, from 135 million before the pandemic to 276 million today, “with more than half a million experiencing famine conditions—an increase of more than 500 per cent since 2016.” At the same meeting, David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, added that without an immediate reduction in the price of food and other necessities like energy, which is also soaring, the number of people experiencing famine could soon balloon to 49 million in 43 countries, a scale of misery not seen since China’s Great Leap Forward Famine of 1949-’51.

The case of India, the world’s second-biggest producer of wheat, exemplifies how climate contributes to this mess. Typically, the great bulk of India’s harvest feeds domestic demand, leaving little left over for exports. But five consecutive bumper crops emboldened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare in April that his country’s wheat farmers could help offset the Black Sea shortfall, because “we already have enough food for our people.” In early May, he reiterated his vow, adding that “India’s farmers are coming forward to feed the world.” The announcements briefly helped calm markets and stabilize prices.

But even as Modi was talking up the nation’s wheat output, a historic heatwave had descended upon the subcontinent’s breadbasket region…The unrelenting heat parched crops and forced the government to slash its harvest forecast.
Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/food/2022/ ... e-change/
Don't mourn, organize.

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Vakanai
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Re: Food Price Watch Thread

Post by Vakanai »

caltrek wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 3:51 pm Russia’s War Created a Global Hunger Disaster. Climate Change Is Ramping It Up.
by Tom Philpott
June 1, 2022

Introduction:
(Mother Jones) Back in February, Russia invaded Ukraine, turning Europe’s main wheat-growing region—a key source of grain and cooking oil for the Middle East and Africa—into a war zone. Global food prices had already been rising steadily for a year, pushed up by supply chain snarls brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The war sent them soaring anew, to the highest levels since 1961, when the United Nations began tracking. On top of this, global public-health authorities warn that weather extremes related to climate change are wilting crops and shrinking harvests in alarming ways—setting the stage for what could be the worst hunger crisis in generations.

At a meeting of the United Nations on May 18, Secretary-General António Guterres reported that the number of “severely food insecure people” had doubled in just two years, from 135 million before the pandemic to 276 million today, “with more than half a million experiencing famine conditions—an increase of more than 500 per cent since 2016.” At the same meeting, David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, added that without an immediate reduction in the price of food and other necessities like energy, which is also soaring, the number of people experiencing famine could soon balloon to 49 million in 43 countries, a scale of misery not seen since China’s Great Leap Forward Famine of 1949-’51.

The case of India, the world’s second-biggest producer of wheat, exemplifies how climate contributes to this mess. Typically, the great bulk of India’s harvest feeds domestic demand, leaving little left over for exports. But five consecutive bumper crops emboldened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare in April that his country’s wheat farmers could help offset the Black Sea shortfall, because “we already have enough food for our people.” In early May, he reiterated his vow, adding that “India’s farmers are coming forward to feed the world.” The announcements briefly helped calm markets and stabilize prices.

But even as Modi was talking up the nation’s wheat output, a historic heatwave had descended upon the subcontinent’s breadbasket region…The unrelenting heat parched crops and forced the government to slash its harvest forecast.
Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/food/2022/ ... e-change/
I believe people will starve, and I believe that it's going to be worse than most such hunger crises because too many people are struggling to donate to charities that normally soften these blows.
It's going to get bad. Well, worse.
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