Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

This gets tricky and I'm not sure. If as you say ingredients are the least 
value, then here's another angle on it. Other inputs and materials are more 
expensive and going up. All processing and transport takes energy. Grocery 
items that take the most processing and shipping will take the biggest hit 
and cost more. Maybe, maybe not.

Certainly Cola ingredients are dirt cheap, but the water used is a cost and 
the corn syrup in it's going up, and distribution cost is going up with 
diesel prices.

About Primary Products: Fresh produce are going to cost a lot more to store 
and transport. So at some point, locally grown and sold fresh can become 
cheaper by comparison - which could lead to fresh produce being grown and 
sold almost everywhere. Meat and dairy do need some processing and storage, 
and with those costs going up meat and dairy will be more expensive. IMHO 
fresh, local produce could end up the cheapest diet, with the producers 
making a secure living, respected once again.

Darn. Crystal ball needs new batteries.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

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On 7/12/2008 at 2:53 PM Mike wrote:

>Interestingly enough, it's not the processed food that will increase in
>price first. Because the ingredients are the least of the value of the
>final package, and the price is high per unit volume (compared with
>primary food), there is a lot more give in the price. Take cola for
>example. Almost pure profit. Today I saw some in the supermarket cheaper
>than I have ever seen it.
>
>It is, as we have seen discussed here for some time, those items that
>have slim margins and cost a lot to transport, that will increase in
>price fastest. Primary products. Fresh fruit and veges. Meat. Dairy.
>
>The good news is that these are thing things that are most available to
>us as home-grown. The bad news is that for those that still have to buy
>them, they are the most healthy.
>
>Which brings us back to a problem that is endemic amongst western
>nations, I am sure. That is, the poorest get to eat the worst food.
>
>Mike
>
>Liz wrote:
>> At 03:36 PM 7/11/2008, you wrote:
>>