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Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

bloomberg.com

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Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#61

Post by nness »

Cederfjard wrote: post #52
nelsonmandela wrote: post #37

Closed borders, no students/backpackers, farmers unprepared to pay minimum wages to Australians is resulting in a lot of produce being plowed back into the ground. I just don't know how this economy keeps rolling. How can farmers meet the payments on their loans? Reading 'The great depression: A diary' and looking at the world today just shocks the hell out of me. We are following it step for step and the crash is go…

Am I interpreting this correctly that there’s a minimum wage that applies to Australians but not foreigners, and farmers thus rely on foreign labor? Edit: In Sweden we have/have had similar situations with temporary immigrants that for example pick berries for exploitative wages, but that’s because there’s no actual minimum wage per se - in the rest of society decent wages are ensured by strong unions (except in area…

Some of Australia's visa's require that the applicant spend a few months working on a farm, usually fruit-picking. These workers are still entitled to the same minimum wages (as far as I know) and other protections, in theory.

(Australia's geographical isolation makes it difficult to attract seasonal workers, unlike throughout Europe where traveling for work is comparatively cheaper and easier.)

However, farmers have always benefited from the fact that people wanted the visa more than the didn't want to work — many workers are taken advantage of. Now that there are none of these workers, farmers are having to complete for labor like anyone else and that is costing more than they intended.

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#62

Post by jhayward »

hellbannedguy wrote: post #46

The article blames transportation cost due to Covid, and an increase in raw food prices for the rise in food cost. In my little bubble, in the Bay Area, it feels like plain old greed, and opportunity, but not price gouging. When the government tells me where I can shop, along with my fear of how certain stores have dealt with Covid precautions, my buying habits don’t take price into account like before. The first few…

> When the government tells me where I can shop,

Which government is telling you where you can shop? In what way do they do that?

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#63

Post by kingkawn »

imtringued wrote: post #59
baybal2 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last year we had: 1. Biblical scale locust infestation in much of Africa, and Asia 2. Floods in East Asia 3. Early winter in Russia, Ukraine, and North China 4. Failed, and missed sowing of grains in much of above regions 5. Shipping disruptions, and resulting food spoilage, and waste 6. Granaries busted, and people burning through many months worth of grain, and flour in much of third world due to initial COVID pani…

That aljazeera link doesn't sit right with me. I mean, just look at that first picture. It's a small child sitting in a sandy place with a stainless steel bowl with porridge like food inside. There is no civilization in sight. Maybe some village houses, which represent the bare minimum shelter needed. So now you get to ask yourself, should I feel pity or should I recognize that this child is not living in an environm…

You gotta feed people to be able to do the restructuring. Your logic is hollow to someone starving.

Also impressive you’ve attempted to resurrect the idea of “civilizing” people.

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#65

Post by swarnie_ »

Cederfjard wrote: post #52
nelsonmandela wrote: post #37

Closed borders, no students/backpackers, farmers unprepared to pay minimum wages to Australians is resulting in a lot of produce being plowed back into the ground. I just don't know how this economy keeps rolling. How can farmers meet the payments on their loans? Reading 'The great depression: A diary' and looking at the world today just shocks the hell out of me. We are following it step for step and the crash is go…

Am I interpreting this correctly that there’s a minimum wage that applies to Australians but not foreigners, and farmers thus rely on foreign labor? Edit: In Sweden we have/have had similar situations with temporary immigrants that for example pick berries for exploitative wages, but that’s because there’s no actual minimum wage per se - in the rest of society decent wages are ensured by strong unions (except in area…

We have a similar situation in the UK where minimum wage is payed but work and living conditions are horrendous.

No locals will do the work because... Why would you. Living in a caravan for the whole summer and working 12 hours a day isn't a good deal. Maybe its worth it if you intend to move back to a county where you get much better purchasing power?

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#66

Post by atomashpolskiy »

NullPrefix wrote: post #54
bobitsaboy wrote: post #14

Prior to the pandemic, I always advocated for a couple weeks worth of non-perishables to be at the ready. Storms can cause issues getting to stores (or shipments arriving), and illness can make it a pain to make a weekly run. Now my significant other is entirely on board. When normal ingredients we used became unavailable, it caused us to continually try new things. I have to admit I was pretty surprised to see today…

>Flour, sugar, etc. were all a real pain to get a hold of I see that as a win. Neither flour nor sugar is essential or healthy.

Yeah, let them eat kinoa and avocado

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#67

Post by tomp »

Ekaros wrote: post #12
z92 wrote: post #5

I don't get how food consumption can increase in a pandemic. Should be constant in or outside a pandemic situation. Possibly somewhere crops are getting rotten because of newly imposed export restrictions, or for some other things.

Not to forget availability of labour. Which travel restrictions affect. Also processing has challenges. When your line worker might be out of service for week or two it can affect output, same goes for increasing the hygiene standards. And those also involve costs which will be moved to consumers.

It only took a global pandemic for the fake argument “immigration doesn’t suppress wages” to finally be cancelled.

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#68

Post by swarnie_ »

azalemeth wrote: post #7
z92 wrote: post #5

I don't get how food consumption can increase in a pandemic. Should be constant in or outside a pandemic situation. Possibly somewhere crops are getting rotten because of newly imposed export restrictions, or for some other things.

In the UK at least, it's very much due to new-found export (and import) restrictions. The price of food has slightly increased since brexshit, whereas its availability has plummeted: the number of varieties of vegetables stocked by my local Tesco, for example, has plummeted, and the stock sells out almost immediately after delivery.

> the number of varieties of vegetables stocked by my local Tesco, for example, has plummeted, and the stock sells out almost immediately after delivery.

Are you in a really shitty area or something? I only saw what you described in the first week of lockdown one. Nothing has noticeably changed in my local Morrisons for the last few months.

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#69

Post by melomal »

z92 wrote: post #5

I don't get how food consumption can increase in a pandemic. Should be constant in or outside a pandemic situation. Possibly somewhere crops are getting rotten because of newly imposed export restrictions, or for some other things.

> I don't get how food consumption can increase in a pandemic

There are a lot of people comfort eating and generally grazing out of boredom. I'm sure I've been eating a little more than I should with the crappy foods. Plus, people are saving so they are probably buying more foods to stock up on and thus throwing it all away.

Re: Food Prices Are Soaring Faster Than Inflation and Incomes

#70

Post by rapnie »

dbetteridge wrote: post #60
Cederfjard wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Am I interpreting this correctly that there’s a minimum wage that applies to Australians but not foreigners, and farmers thus rely on foreign labor? Edit: In Sweden we have/have had similar situations with temporary immigrants that for example pick berries for exploitative wages, but that’s because there’s no actual minimum wage per se - in the rest of society decent wages are ensured by strong unions (except in area…

More like. I'll pay you minimum wage, but charge you exorbitant amounts for board and lodging and you have no choice because it's the middle of nowhere. Or for the extra dodgy types, cash payments below minimum wage because they know international workers are less likely to know their rights and be aware of what the minimum wage is.

The first happens in The Netherlands on large scale, since they deregulated job agencies. There are 1,000's of shady ones, where administratively all is fine and dandy, but in practice foreign labour is paid far below minimum wage + they are often threatened to not speak up, passport taken, etc.

This, btw, happens all across the EU is my impression. Modern-day slavery very much alive globally even!

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