[Newsbot]

Title: Poor are hit hardest by rising food prices: study
Category: Economics
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2010-12-21 17:57:27
Canadian

[Public_Domain]

[ShepherdsDog]

$1:

``At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,'' said the gentleman, taking up a pen, ``it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.''

``Are there no prisons?'' asked Scrooge.

``Plenty of prisons,'' said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

``And the Union workhouses?'' demanded Scrooge. ``Are they still in operation?''

``They are. Still,'' returned the gentleman, `` I wish I could say they were not.''

``The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?'' said Scrooge.

``Both very busy, sir.''

``Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,'' said Scrooge. ``I'm very glad to hear it.''

``Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,'' returned the gentleman, ``a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?''

``Nothing!'' Scrooge replied.

``You wish to be anonymous?''

``I wish to be left alone,'' said Scrooge. ``Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.''

``Many can't go there; and many would rather die.''

``If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.''

``But you might know it,'' observed the gentleman.

``It's not my business,'' Scrooge returned. ``It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!''

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Was the study done by Captain Obvious???

[Laura Adams]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Was the study done by Captain Obvious???

He led a special team of scientists in this study. I love studies like that. They waste huge amounts of money in order to prove that trolling works and people with the least money are hit hardest when the price of X (which could be food, heating, etc.) goes up.

This sounds exactly like what's been focused on here in the economically depressed state I live in.

"The study found that fruit, vegetables and fish have actually increased at a rate slower than inflation.

But the poorest Canadians tend to live in neighbourhoods where those foods aren't always readily available.

The corner stores that often dominate poorer areas don't tend to stock as many healthy options as unhealthy ones, the report states."

No, but at the corner store in our poor neighborhoods, they stock 35 different varieties of blunt wraps...

In our town, we have two associated community-based projects working on this issue. SPROUT, which is urban gardening to provide free produce for people in "disadvantaged" neighborhoods, and GRUB which is the distribution arm of it. They distribute the food at the corner stores, and other locations.

[BionicBunny]

Also it doesn't help when places like B.C. are allowing farmlands to be destroyed to make way for condos.

[ShepherdsDog]

Southern Ontario did this as well. Some of the most productive land in Canada is under concrete and asphalt, rather than marginal land that has no agricultural value.

[KorbenDeck]

Poor are hit hardest by rising food prices? Really? You would think the rich would suffer the most... Of course the poor are hardest hit they always are that's what sucks about being poor.

[gonavy47]

How much did this study cost? I could have done it for half! Conclusion: Poor hardest hit...No Shit Sherlock!

[billypilgrim]

holy shit. really? high prices are rough on people with no money? get the fuck outta here!

[BartSimpson]

On the upside, all those poor people suffering from obesity will be on a new diet plan.

[andyt]

Well, there's a Swift solution for that.

[billypilgrim]

sounds like andy will be modestly proposing a gameplan?

[CommanderSock]

Yes, let's just kill all the poor until more poor take up their place, then we kill them too. Soilent Green.

The reason why food as an expense is growing is due to the "real" inflation that has been hidden by the cost of cheap Chinese goods flooding developed markets. To see how much your buying power has been eroded, check how much of household income goes to food now, compared to say 20-30 years ago (lots of statistics for this).

Nowadays from Wal-Mart you can buy a kettle or a toaster for the price of a stick of Mozarella cheese. Think about that for a moment.

[andyt]

CommanderSock CommanderSock:

Yes, let's just kill all the poor until more poor take up their place, then we kill them too. Soilent Green.

The reason why food as an expense is growing is due to the "real" inflation that has been hidden by the cost of cheap Chinese goods flooding developed markets. To see how much your buying power has been eroded, check how much of household income goes to food now, compared to say 20-30 years ago (lots of statistics for this).

Nowadays from Wal-Mart you can buy a kettle or a toaster for the price of a stick of Mozarella cheese. Think about that for a moment.

I'm surprised, Sock. I've always read that households spend a much smaller portion of their income on food than they did say 30 years ago. you got a link for what you're saying?