Food Prices Up; No Crisis Yet

For some folks, eating organically grown food is a no-brainer. They do it because the farmers who grew those foods focus on sustainability and because those foods are generally considered healthier options. While the prices of organically-grown foods in America is typically a bit more expensive than traditionally-grown foods, they price difference hasn't deterred most. That may change.

In February, the price of food rose 2.2% worldwide. That's a record. The United Nations is warning that unrest in Libya and the Middle East could push prices even higher. That's bad news for Americans who already have seen a month-on-month increase in food prices over the last several reportable periods; and even worse news for the sustainable foods market.

The world isn't facing a food crisis yet and there's certainly no reason to stock-up on canned goods before the market sky-rockets, but the rising price of foods does leave one to wonder why organically-grown foods cost so much more in the States, especially given the fact that the price of traditionally-grown foods is in many ways linked to the sale of oil.

Not everyone in the world knows what it likes to pay more for organic food. In central Europe, most organic foods are priced evenly (and sometimes less expensively) than traditionally-grown foods. All products sold in grocery stores are biologically-approved, meaning they go through strict standards that ensure safety and compliance with environmental standards. Europeans don't pay extra for these assurance, as Americans do.

But Americans shouldn't get upset just yet - food-price inflation is being blamed as one cause for the unrest in the Middle East. All food commodities are hitting higher than expected inflation rates and the economic backlash for countries that export foodstuffs has lead to government crackdowns and stricter import-export rules in those nations.

Our advice: keep an eye on your supermarket. Shop for environmentally-friendly foods at decent prices. Don't be afraid to shop around to get the best deals on foods that are sustainably-produced yet also keep your wallet fat.

Photo credit: Hari Prasad Nadig