CNN story about food prices

[Rob L]

I think that richer Asian eating more and especially more meat has a lot more to do with rising food prices than the floods in the Midwest. Prices were rising dramatically before the floods. Asians are not any where close to the amount of meat we eat and I don't think that the rising wealth of the rest of the world will stop. So, high food prices will be with us for a while until/unless production can make a big jump. Not sure if that can happen very quickly. Likewise rising petrol prices are driven by increased economic activity in Asia. While there is no less oil being produced, more people want it and can pay for it. So I think those prices will be high for while too. Alternative engergy will drive them down in the long run, but that could be quite a while.

Aloha,
Rob L