Food Turns into a Luxury(Cette page n'est pas encore disponible
en français) Soil erosion, rising fertilizer prices, and severe
weather brought on by climate change have all contributed to the
volatility of crop yields and food prices. This is particularly
harsh in countries where most people depend on basic foods, such
as unrefined grains and rice, which are more directly linked to
global commodity prices than are the refined foods found in
supermarkets. Food prices have been volatile in recent years,
yet the overall trend is clear. The international market
commodity price for food has increased by a factor of 2.7
between 2000 and 2011. This has a disproportionately large
effect on the world’s poorest, for whom the increased cost of
food translates into a reduced ability to spend on education,
health, shelter or transportation. Indeed, consumer expenditure
on food has already risen up to 60 percent of total consumer
expenditure in some low-income countries. The poor bargaining
position of small farmers in lo