Originally published January 31 2015
Food prices continue to skyrocket in America; get ready to grow your own at FoodRising.org
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Americans paid more for meat, poultry, fish and eggs this past Christmas than at any other time since the federal government first began tracking this data back in 1967, according to new data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Despite a slight overall decline in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December, certain food commodities reached their highest prices ever, according to the agency, which tracks changes in prices paid by urban consumers for various goods and services.
A 0.4 percent overall decline in the CPI was attained after seasonally adjusting for the holiday season. But non-adjusted figures showed a 0.8 percent increase in the "all items" index for December, suggesting that inflation is continuing to wreak havoc for consumers.
And nowhere was the brunt of this inflation felt most than in the food category, which saw its sharpest increase since September. Even while gasoline prices continued to free fall, food prices rose sharply, dipping only slightly in January.
"The food index rose 0.3 percent in December after a 0.2 percent increase in November," reads the BLS report. "The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 0.3 percent as the index for beef and veal continued to rise, advancing 0.7 percent."
Prices for meat, poultry, fish and eggs have risen 585 percent since 1967
Back in 1967 when the BLS first started tracking changes in food prices, the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs was 38.1. In December 2013, this index reached an astounding 239.151, a 500 percent increase in food prices over the course of less than 50 years.
In December 2014, the same index peaked at 261.002, representing a 585 percent increase in food prices compared to 1967. Compared to the December 2013 index, food prices rose nearly 10 percent in just one year.
In every category from beef to chicken to eggs, consumers saw considerably higher prices at the grocery store, despite minimal or no increases in wages. And while automobile fuel prices have dropped significantly, natural gas and electricity costs have both increased alongside food.
"In January 1980, when the BLS started tracking the price of [eggs], Grade A eggs cost $0.879 per pound," explains CNS News. "By this December 2014, Grade A eggs cost $2.21 per pound. A decade ago, in December 2004, Grade A eggs cost $1.199 a pound. Since then, the price has increased 84.3%."
Expand your self-reliance knowledge and learn how to grow your own food at FoodRising.org
If Americans hope to keep up with all this rapid inflation and continue feeding their families, it may be necessary to go the self-sufficiency route. Those who have yard access, for instance, may need to invest in some backyard chickens. Growing a backyard vegetable garden is another option for dealing with rising food prices.
As promised, Natural News is also unveiling a series of "low-tech" inventions that everyday people will be able to use to grow food at home. Utilizing the power of 3D printing technology, these inventions will help humanity better live apart from the system, or "off the grid," empowering individuals to take control of their own destinies rather than rely on the government for handouts.
The era of cheap and easily accessible food appears to be nearing its end, which means now is the time to start investigating other ways of survival. You can learn more about self-sufficiency and 3D-printing technology by visiting .
Sources:
http://cnsnews.com
http://www.foodrising.org
http://www.bls.gov
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