Food prices across the world have risen to their highest levels in a decade on the back of tightening supply conditions coupled with robust demand, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The FAO’s food price index, which measures world food commodity prices, has surged by 32.8 percent in the 12 months through September, coming in at a reading of 130 points, a level not seen since 2011. On a month-over-month basis, the index rose 1.2 percent.
Accounting for the bulk of the rise in the index were higher prices of most cereals and vegetable oils.
The FAO vegetable oil price index was up 60 percent in September from a year earlier, and 1.7 percent higher than in August. The cereal price measure was up 27.3 percent over the year last month, and 2 percent from August.
Dairy and sugar prices also rose in September by an over-the-year 15.2 percent and 53.5 percent, respectively, while the meat price index was up 26.3 percent above its year-earlier level.
While much of the inflation story has been focused on surging energy costs and products affected by the semiconductor chip shortage such as used cars, rising food cost signals are increasingly flashing red.
One of my favorite things these days, now that we are empty nesters, is observing my children in their kitchens. Three are married and one has two small children.
It has been so gratifying watching them cook with whole foods!
Paul and I spent so many years training them in kitchen skills that it has been joyful to see them all baking and meal planning.
Here are a few blasts from the past illustrating what we did.
Last thanksgiving I was dreading having the children home for ten days of vacation from school. Why? I don’t know, it probably had something to do with feeling the need to “entertain” them and keep them busy. But one day before school let up for the holiday I had an idea.