To what extent can these percentage price changes be attributed to change in the value of the US dollar compared to other currencies? Separately and in addition, ala drought, global warming is taking its toll. We should also examine pollution in the sea concerning fish prices.

Ha! That's what I told him!

My brother bought some cheap seeds and set up a 6'x6' hydroponics room in his kitchen, where he grows organic vegetables and fruits. He is hoping to convert the electricity to solar next year. I was amazed at how lush and green everything looked! Really. It was like a booth of Jurassic Park. And it tasted even better. I work in a restaurant in the evenings that uses organic food for a lot of dishes and that stuff ain't cheap. But it is worth it if you prefer your food without pesticides and additives. I know I do. If the price of food (veggies) keeps going up I will invest in a similar Hydroponics set up. Perhaps a smaller version since It's just me and my cat. :-)

@@subco yeah...if it is better. Lots from corporate farms are frankenspecies, full of chemical fertilizer and enhancements and preservative chemicals and soaked in pest/herbicides....real healthy.

As a farmer, I'm not getting much more for my crops and a lot of small farmers are doing the same as we are. Just grow enough to break even and eat, butcher a couple of steers every year for our own needs and work outside jobs to make the budget work out.

Anyone that says the Government doesn't control the prices has never had to deal with the FDA, EPA, Forestry Dept, Dept of Agriculture, land use people and for some poor souls, the Corp of Engineers.

They can Red Tape the prices of supplies and permits right to the penny. Ethanol isn't helping the price of consumer corn products either.

@Vitaliy_Kiselev that chart is even scarier than I thought. amazing.

I will make an important thread. Its about nutrition and better brain performance, In google talks there is interesting videos about it.

EDIT: HERE IS THE THREAD http://personal-view.com/talks/discussion/3992/nutrients-for-better-mental-performance-videos-and-reads-

would never feed it a $1 BigMac or garbage like that for example.

Never say never :-)

Consider that your salary is the same, but food prices are 5x.
Will be you still ok with it?

Advice: don't ever believe what a doctor tells you about diet. It's not much different what anyone else says about diets. Doctors generally don't know jack about diet.

Should we make separate Paleo Diet thread?

And prey too …

Veg, fruit, grains, nuts.

They are grate foods, every doctor recomends Veg, fruit, nuts. They are important in nutrition. I cant say it about beans and seeds, cos they can generate alergic reactions, like soybean, or weet. That is cos they where developed in human diet only after farming was invented. So was the latest introduction to our diet in the human evolution. After that we just jump to junk food and modern pestisides, which we all know are harmfull. Paleolitic diet is the one with more years developed in the human evolution. So our body is more used to it.

I never proposed an invisible hand theory!

Check please, invisible hand is quite known term :-) And you share same approach.

Commodity prices spiked early in the depression (2008-9), only to fall again.

And they spiked because?

Non-food commodity prices elsewhere have dropped significantly in recent months, thanks to reduced demand.

Can you show me documents that have facts about reduced world demant for this goods?

While there will always be some influence from fiscal policy generally in a complex system, there's really no need to invoke it here

No of course, not. Wait, it is complete bullshit statement. I also really do not like constant usage of term "fiscal policy" in the situation of bankrupt country, who is some months issues debt that in twice of all budget income.

Unless the law of supply and demand have been repealed, prices are likely to go up.

May be you could be so kind to show me all the dotations in US and EU that go to hold food prices?

And the proof that these prices are tied to fiscal policy is where?

I think your invisible hand theory has them :-) As if you have more money and same amount of goods - inflation happens.

If you want to check how more money exactly, you can check US budget posts on this same blog. For other goverments it is also not very good.

It's worth remarking here that this food inflation has nothing to do with American fiscal policy, deficits, stimulus spending, supposed "devaluation of the dollar", etc.

This claim is false. Food prices are, of course, related to all of this things.

Obama has a lot to answer for, but this isn't one of them

Obama is just a puppet, you can't blame a puppet.

We're talking commodity prices, which are always volatile and tied either to supply and demand and/or speculation, plus the likely effects of global warming on crop patterns.

Yes, invisible hand theory. I see. Sad thing that it is not true.