Rising food prices impact what we eat: poll

Boston, Mass. – Food prices are affecting how and what people eat, says Oxfam International.

The results of a public opinion poll conducted in 17 countries with 16,000 people by GlobeScan has found that 54 per cent of respondents and a majority of people in most countries are not eating the same foods as they did two years ago. That’s the period before the current food price crisis began.

Globally, 39 per cent of those who said their diet had changed blamed the rising price of food and 33 per cent cited health reasons.

In Canada

A poll conducted in May for Oxfam Canada by EKOS Research found that two thirds of Canadians are extremely concerned about rising food prices. And a June poll showed that 70 per cent of Canadians agree that the global food system is broken.

Cost, availability

Oxfam International’s poll also found that cost was by far the biggest food worry with 66 per cent of people citing it as one of their top concerns. Forty-three per cent of people said that the healthiness or nutritional value of the food they ate was also a key concern.

However in poorer countries the availability of food was much more of an issue.

World’s favourite foods

Oxfam’s polls also found that despite diverse tastes and availability, people around the world have more in common than we think.

Pasta, meat and rice are the world’s three favourite foods.

Unfortunately rice and wheat are getting more expensive – they’re projected to rise by as much as 120 per cent by 2030, partly due to the affects of climate change.