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The Food Chain

Factual: Food & Drink

Examining what it takes to put food on your plate

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

The Food Chain: Is Food too Cheap for our Own Good?

26/10/2014

Is Food too Cheap for our Own Good?

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, Is Food too Cheap for our Own Good?

Food prices have slumped, despite the costs of production and transport going up

Food prices have slumped to a four-year low, despite the costs of production, processing, and transport going up. So, how can food be priced so cheaply?

Food prices - for meat, dairy, sugar and cereals - have slumped to a four-year low, despite the costs of production, processing, and transport going up. So, how can food be priced so cheaply? 

In the US, Americans eat more 31% less fresh food than processed food, Europe buys half the world's market for frozen pizza and China's market for cookies is thought to be more than $24 billion. Convenience, income, supply and business models have all influenced the demand and supply for cheap processed food, but what impact is this having on people's health? 

'Cheap' means different things depending on your income. We'll explore how tastes change as developing nations get richer.

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