Farmers Abandon Fields Larger Than Belgium and Luxembourg

'Food prices are expected to surge after the worst drought in the U.S. for half a century destroyed one-sixth of the country’s expected corn crop over the past month.

The hottest July in U.S. history has caused irreparable damage to crops, forcing corn farmers to abandon fields greater in area than Belgium and Luxembourg. Soyabeans, which are used for animal feed and to make vegetable oil, have also been affected, with this harvest likely to be the worst for five years.'


Read more...

Read more »

30 Statistics That Show That The Middle Class Is Dying Right In Front Of Our Eyes As We Enter 2012

 

 'Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most vibrant middle class that the world has ever seen.  Unfortunately, that is rapidly changing.  The statistics that you are about to read prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the U.S. middle class is dying right in front of our eyes as we enter 2012.  The decline of the middle class is not something that has happened all of a sudden. 

Rather, there has been a relentless grinding down of the middle class over the last several decades. Millions of our jobs have been shipped overseas, the rate of inflation has far outpaced the rate that our wages have grown, and overwhelming debt has choked the financial life out of millions of American families. Every single day, more Americans fall out of the middle class and into poverty.' 

Read more...

Read more »

You Are Being Warned

by Dr. Mark Sircus

'Prices are expected to increase due to inclement weather patterns influencing international commodity production and demand. Extreme cold snaps and heavy snowfall in Europe and the United States are increasing demand for oil and destroying or hurting crops; droughts and deluges in Australia are wreaking havoc on sugar and wheat production; Argentinean corn production is being threatened by weather patterns; and parts of China are expected to run short of oil and even coal in the coming winter months. “Things” are getting more expensive. 

'That is a fact. Energy, metals, and the ‘softs’ (grains and cotton) are all headed higher both in the US and elsewhere across the world. In India food inflation is taking off like a plane off a runway, and China is not far behind. India’s annual food inflation went up again for another week on the back of rising prices of fruits, vegetables, and milk and stood at 9.46 percent for the week ending 4 December. Food inflation was 8.60 percent in the previous week. 

'This is the second consecutive week of rise in food inflation. While prices of rice rose by 1.47 percent, vegetables went up by one percent, milk by 17.76 percent, and fruits by 19.75 percent on an annual basis. Pulses and wheat prices declined by 4.24 percent and 11.46 percent, respectively. Onions became costlier by 29.93 Readpercent on an annual basis.' 

Read More

Read more »

This Financial Catastrophe Can Destroy Your Future Fast - How to Avoid it

By Dr. Mercola

'Is the US headed toward an economic crisis that could dwarf the Great Depression?
Well, the signs are hard to ignore, and there are many striking similarities between events today and the events that led up to the harshest years during the Great Depression, from banking failures in the thousands and rising unemployment, to the passing of laws and creation of administrative boards later declared unconstitutional.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, food prices have risen sharply in the past few months, and the food manufacturing and restaurant industries warn that further increases may be unavoidable, despite the risks involved:

"For food executives, how quickly to pass along higher costs presents difficult choices.
Missteps could be costly when the economy remains weak. Many Americans, nervous about high unemployment, have pledged allegiance to their pennies and are willing to trade down on brands, switch supermarkets, opt for Burger King over Applebee's, or stop dining out altogether to save money."'

Read more...

Read more »