Surprisingly, Americans spend less on food than most of their alternatives in developed countries. Though less is spent overall, more is being spent on unhealthy foods and sweets than on more nutritious fare.
Food spending compared to other countries
Compared with other developed countries, Americans spend less money on food each year. Still, the average American income is $50,000 per year, and that is not quite enough money to take care of a typical family of four with pets.
In contrast to other countries, the United States is not looking too bad since the typical British family spends 9 percent of the annual outlay on food and the typical French family will spend 14 percent. Mother Jones points out that Individuals only spent six percent of the $32,051 yearly outlay for 2009. That adds up to $6,372 total on food for the year: $3,753 for food in the home and $2,619 for food away from the home.
Largely, according to a recent article by NPR, it has to do with the cost of food in America steadily decreasing over the past 30 years.
Michelle Obama advocating better food
Recent Agency of Labor Statistics data indicates yearly household expenditures on food have ticked up to around 8 percent of yearly outlays. However, that is drastically less than the typical household in 1982, when food spending was closer to 13 percent.
During that time, the cost of most food groups has dropped; in some cases drastically. For instance, the cost of steak has dropped 30 percent, from $7 per pound in 1982 to $4.90 per pound in 2012. No meats have gone up in price. Only one fruit and one vegetable increased in price in that time, those being grapefruit and bell peppers, the costs of which increased by 6.5 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
What some may view as troublesome is how much is spent on what type of food. Meats dropped from 31.3 percent of food expenditures in 1982 to 21.5 percent of expenditures in 2012. Vegetables and fruit stayed broadly the same at 14.5 percent in 1982 and 14.6 percent in 2012. However, processed foods and sweets doubled from 11.6 percent in 1982 to 22.9 percent in 2012. Michelle Obama could be criticized for advocating feeding children more vegetables and fruit, but she could be on to something.
Exploring the subsidies
From 1995 to 2010, the agriculture industry has received $261.9 billion in subsidies. The amount of corn produced manufactured in America increased from 4 billion bushels to 12 billion bushels in that time. This is part of why we are paying less for groceries, according to Mother Jones.
Some costs are going up. According to Forbes, grain and meats have both started increasing recently. In 2011, the price of meats went up by 8 percent. Grain prices doubled.
The low prices also do not benefit the farmer much. Aside from not much cash in nominal terms, the Department of Agriculture estimates 15.8 percent of revenue from selling food goes to the entity that produced it, according to a post on The Daily Green.
Food spending compared to other countries
Compared with other developed countries, Americans spend less money on food each year. Still, the average American income is $50,000 per year, and that is not quite enough money to take care of a typical family of four with pets.
In contrast to other countries, the United States is not looking too bad since the typical British family spends 9 percent of the annual outlay on food and the typical French family will spend 14 percent. Mother Jones points out that Individuals only spent six percent of the $32,051 yearly outlay for 2009. That adds up to $6,372 total on food for the year: $3,753 for food in the home and $2,619 for food away from the home.
Largely, according to a recent article by NPR, it has to do with the cost of food in America steadily decreasing over the past 30 years.
Michelle Obama advocating better food
Recent Agency of Labor Statistics data indicates yearly household expenditures on food have ticked up to around 8 percent of yearly outlays. However, that is drastically less than the typical household in 1982, when food spending was closer to 13 percent.
During that time, the cost of most food groups has dropped; in some cases drastically. For instance, the cost of steak has dropped 30 percent, from $7 per pound in 1982 to $4.90 per pound in 2012. No meats have gone up in price. Only one fruit and one vegetable increased in price in that time, those being grapefruit and bell peppers, the costs of which increased by 6.5 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
What some may view as troublesome is how much is spent on what type of food. Meats dropped from 31.3 percent of food expenditures in 1982 to 21.5 percent of expenditures in 2012. Vegetables and fruit stayed broadly the same at 14.5 percent in 1982 and 14.6 percent in 2012. However, processed foods and sweets doubled from 11.6 percent in 1982 to 22.9 percent in 2012. Michelle Obama could be criticized for advocating feeding children more vegetables and fruit, but she could be on to something.
Exploring the subsidies
From 1995 to 2010, the agriculture industry has received $261.9 billion in subsidies. The amount of corn produced manufactured in America increased from 4 billion bushels to 12 billion bushels in that time. This is part of why we are paying less for groceries, according to Mother Jones.
Some costs are going up. According to Forbes, grain and meats have both started increasing recently. In 2011, the price of meats went up by 8 percent. Grain prices doubled.
The low prices also do not benefit the farmer much. Aside from not much cash in nominal terms, the Department of Agriculture estimates 15.8 percent of revenue from selling food goes to the entity that produced it, according to a post on The Daily Green.
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