The High Price of Cheap Food

I read an article titled "Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food" today which I recommend you take a look at if you're interested at all in your food. Unfortunately, the article doesn't go beyond the content of The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, except for an example of sustainable ranching and maybe some updated statistics. It's still worthwhile as an introduction to the subject, though.

Dispute: "No one goes to farmers' markets for bargains" (p. 4). Ummm... I do. Maybe the author means that per average calorie farmers' market food is more expensive than grocery store food? Because I find that farmers' market produce is less expensive and higher quality than grocery store, but maybe that's specific to my choices.

I liked this paragraph (p. 2):

So what's wrong with cheap food and cheap meat — especially in a world in which more than 1 billion people go hungry? A lot. For one thing, not all food is equally inexpensive; fruits and vegetables don't receive the same price supports as grains. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda but just 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit. With the backing of the government, farmers are producing more calories — some 500 more per person per day since the 1970s — but too many are unhealthy calories. Given that, it's no surprise we're so fat; it simply costs too much to be thin.

Pretty shocking! Kyle is definitely on the high calorie/$ side of things and I am on the low - I've noticed that $50 of groceries for me is three or four bags and for him it fills his whole trunk.