Food Prices Continue to Rise

This is a follow up from our 2014 article Food Prices are on the Rise.  First,  I'll let the statistics speak for themselves.

From The Balance

Over the past two decades, food prices have risen 2.6 percent a year on average. But recent factors have slowed food price inflation. The change is only temporary, though. Once those downward pressures abate, food prices will resume their normal upward trend.

 

Let's do the math. In the last 20 years, food prices have increased by 52%

 

From the USDA Food Price Outlook 2017-18

The all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation, was up 0.1 percent from May to June 2017 and is 1.6 percent above the June 2016 level. The CPI for all food declined 0.1 percent from May to June, and food prices were 0.9 percent higher than the June 2016 level. The degree of food price inflation varies depending on whether the food was purchased for consumption away from home or at home.

The food-away-from-home (restaurant purchases) CPI was flat in June but is still 2.2 percent higher than June 2016; and

The food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food items) CPI fell 0.3 percent from May to June and is 0.1 percent lower than last June.

Prices for fresh fruits decreased 1.9 percent from May to June but are up 1.1 percent compared with June 2016

Prices for farm-level eggs increased 3 percent from May to June. Price levels are 38.9 percent higher than June 2016 levels. Egg prices are among the most volatile of food prices, typically peaking in the fourth quarter of the year and then falling in the first quarter of the new year. In 2015, prices were also affected by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which reduced the count of table-egg-laying birds in many Midwestern and Pacific Northwestern States. ERS predicts farm-level egg prices to increase 0.0 to 1.0 percent in 2017 and increase an additional 2.0 to 3.0 percent in 2018.

 

From the USDA Food prices and Spending

While the all items CPI has risen 4.5 percent from 2012 to 2016, the all-food CPI rose 6.1 percent over the same time period, but below the 9.5 percent rise in housing costs and 11.7 percent increase in medical care costs. Livestock diseases, major weather events, and shocks to global food markets have caused price inflation for food to outpace many other consumer spending categories. Only prices for medical care and housing have risen faster than food prices.

 

From looking at all of these statistics, it is obvious that food prices have continued to rise since our 2014 article.  At the same time, we have seen a rise in people growing their own food which is great news.

I couldn't track down current stats on Home Gardens but I did find something from Garden.org from 2014

35% of all households in America, or 42 million households, are growing food at home or in a community garden, up 17% in five years

Largest increases in participation seen among younger households - up 63% to 13 million since 2008

2 million more households community gardening -- up 200% since 2008

″This report clearly shows that there truly is a food revolution taking place in America,″ said Mike Metallo, president and CEO of the National Gardening Association, who will attend the annual planting of the White House Kitchen Garden later today. ″We are seeing more people, particularly young people, actively engaged in growing their own food. The growth in just five years is pretty spectacular.″

This growth truly is spectacular!!!  We at Mary's Heirloom Seeds are thrilled to be part of this Food Revolution.  When we say "happy to help," we actually mean it.  Between our freeplanting guides, growing tips & tutorials, youtube videos and FREE seeds, we are doing all we can to help everyone grow their own successful garden.

If you're on the fence about growing your own food, now is a great time to start.

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