{"id":11131,"date":"2011-04-07T13:02:30","date_gmt":"2011-04-07T18:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=11131"},"modified":"2011-04-07T13:02:30","modified_gmt":"2011-04-07T18:02:30","slug":"rising-food-prices-2010-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/rising-food-prices-2010-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Third Update On Rising Food Prices for 2010\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n The FAO released its monthly indices for food prices <\/a>in international trade today. \u00a0For the first time in many months, most of the indices retreated slightly. \u00a0Experts warn that this may not actually mean that this spike is over<\/a>. \u00a0The thinking is that between the crisis in Libya and the earthquake in Japan, the uncertainty drove prices ahead of whatever existing forces would have done. \u00a0 This should become clearer by the next scheduled index release<\/a> on May 5th.<\/p>\n Ultimately, much will depend on how growers respond to the higher prices in terms of increased planting and better crop protection of what is planted. The USDA’s “Planting Intentions”<\/a> survey released on 3\/31 indicated a 4.5% increase for corn, 8.2% for wheat, but a slight 1% decrease for soybeans. \u00a0Cotton prices are also up and there is expected to be a 15% increase of that crop after a long period of decline.<\/p>\n The response in the US is to more fully farm existing fields or to displace crops that are not seeing large price increases. \u00a0The high commodity prices are driving agricultural land expansion in places like the Cerado of Brazil. \u00a0Brazilian farmers recently protested<\/a> the uncertainty about land use regulations which were never enforced but which could now force them to replant \u00a0with a compliance cost of $378 billion. \u00a0 This combined with efforts by Chinese companies to expand soy production in Mato Grosso<\/a> puts a great deal of uncertainty into projections for that crop.<\/p>\n Of course much will also depend on the weather, so we won’t really know if this historic, second spike will be reversed as with the one in 2007\/8. \u00a0 In any case, “rational intensification” using the most sustainable options<\/a> on existing acreage is the most desirable way to respond to rising global demand for food.<\/p>\n You are invited to comment here or to email me at feedback.sdsavage@gmail.com. \u00a0My website is Applied Mythology<\/a><\/p>\n Making some of your own foods can help with food prices… check out our current listings of organic baking supplies<\/a>, including yeast<\/a>, flour<\/a>, baking powder<\/a>, and cocoa<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The FAO released its monthly indices for food prices in international trade today. \u00a0For the first time in many months, most of the indices retreated slightly. \u00a0Experts warn that this [ … ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":11132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[18,3741,4557,4860,4813],"yoast_head":"\nThe Current Agricultural Response<\/h2>\n