Why are grocery prices going up?

Got milk?
Prices for dairy products and other groceries are going up, in part because of the higher costs for corn, wheat and other crops.
MPR Photo/Tom Weber

Soaring food prices have developed into a "global crisis", according to the U.N.'s Secretary-General. The World Bank estimates that food prices have increased by 83 percent in the last three years.

We wanted to hear from an expert on the subject in Minnesota. Jean Kinsey directs the Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota, which researches many aspects of the industry.

Shopping expert
Jean Kinsey directs the Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota.
MPR Photo/Tom Weber

MPR's Tom Weber went shopping recently with Kinsey at Korte's supermarket in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Kinsey said her life's work does not make her a different shopper.

Volume Button
Volume
Now Listening To Livestream
MPR News logo
On Air
BBC World Service: Newshour