OneWorld.net (U.S.)

WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (OneWorld) - From New York to England to Southeast Asia, higher food prices are forcing people to make changes in their lives and lifestyles -- some subtle and temporary, others extreme and irreversible.

Eating rice in the Philippines. © sinosplice (flickr)The rise in prices of basic foods like corn, rice, and wheat -- and the costliness of many other foods caused by rising transportation expenses -- have brought new hardships to many families, say citizen journalists responding to a recent call to explain how people in their part of the world are handling the new realities.

But the adjustments may also lead to some longer-term changes that could benefit the planet and local communities, they add, spotlighting responses to the food crisis that range from the mundane to the heart-wrenching.

Some in the United States and other developed countries have turned to planting their own food, shopping locally, and favoring cheaper products, say the journalists, writing to a OneWorld.net contest held in conjunction with the open writing Web site Helium.com.

Many in developing countries are taking similar measures, though some have gone much farther: tapping into savings or even taking their own life.

"Luxuries can be kept pending for good times, but [the] same [is] not possible for food -- either buy or starve. People who cannot afford to lower their standard of living have started touching their life savings to compensate [for] additional costs," says Mak, a retiree in Southeast Asia.

"It is one of the saddest faces of coping with the soaring prices of commodities in the Philippines, throwing away the very key to success."
- R. N. Lentejas, Jr."In some areas of the world people are killing each other due to food shortages and rising food prices," adds David Nuttle, referencing the ongoing conflict in Darfur, Sudan, which many blame to a large extent on disputes over access to water and cropland following prolonged drought.

Nuttle, who has worked both for the CIA and as a community development specialist in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, explains that poor populations in developing countries "have little effective means to cope with rising food prices." He notes that in many developing countries people are already consuming bare minimum amounts of food and don't even have the option to vote for political changes that could bring about lower food prices.

From Manila, R. N. Lentejas, Jr. describes the toll this dilemma has taken on some in the Philippines. "Dropping out from school has now become an option for young children, not because of the unavailability of classrooms, but simply because they are forced by the circumstances to help their parents earn a living....It is one of the saddest faces of coping with the soaring prices of commodities in the Philippines, throwing away the very key to success."

Others "did not make it," he adds. "A story of a 12-year-old school-girl, who hanged herself inside their little house in Davao City on All Souls Day, has been widely talked about," explains Lentejas. "In her suicide note, Mariennete Amper said that she is committing suicide because she can no longer stand hunger and poverty."

And a 32-year-old mother killed herself and three children in Laguna province, saying she was choosing "to end their lives together to also end hunger and poverty forever, and find prosperity in the afterlife," according to Lentejas.

Consumers in developed countries have also had to face new realities as food prices have risen.

People are playing the game "which bill can wait the longest," says Melissa Crossley. As a result of high food and fuel prices, families have to decide between keeping food in the house or having the phone shut off for a month, she explains.

Farmers' markets may be experiencing a renaissance. © DWQ Online (flickr)Ann Marie Dwyer, a mother of 10 from Kershaw, South Carolina, says that many people are looking for ways to save money in the grocery store. "Luxury food items, like higher priced cuts of meat and seafood, are not selling as well as they did last year," says Dwyer. "On the other hand, less expensive alternatives are selling out. Canned tuna, potted meats, and beans are selling faster than ever before."

Although there are some families who are slowly getting by with these cost-cutting tricks, "there are others that by themselves cannot," says Rosannie Murillo from New York City. These families rely on the U.S. government, mainly the Food Stamps program, for help. According to Murillo, the program has received a record high number of applications and the number of stamps offered to each family has been cut as a result.

The changes in food spending are causing people to eat less or buy less nutritional food. Dwyer says she notices the effects of this change in the health of people in her community. "Influenza is expected to be a larger concern this year based on nutrition-related immune deficiencies," says Dwyer. "Children are not growing at the same rate. The doctor attributes this to smaller portions at the dinner table."

The trend in developed countries to cope with rising food prices seems to be forgoing luxuries, such as sweets and dining out. Many people are also choosing to start their own small gardens, report several citizen journalists.

"The appeal of growing your own vegetables is enjoying a huge revival," says Sarah J. Palmer of Great Britain. She says people are rushing to save money by planting their own gardens, but plots of land are rare and in high demand.

"My home town council in Yateley, Hampshire is negotiating with a neighboring council to acquire land for over 40 people who'd like to grow their own food. Whether the people who need the land the most will be able to afford to drive out of town is questionable," says Palmer. "The 'Great British class divide' is becoming more apparent as food prices rise."

Yet there may be some silver lining to the food crisis. Murillo says food grown close to home "has a chance of receiving more publicity" and farmers' markets could "become more competitive selling locally grown produce at a lower cost than regular markets."

Environmentalists have long encouraged consumers to purchase food grown close to their homes in an effort to minimize the pollution and climate-changing carbon emissions released by cargo trucks, ships, and airplanes.

Debbie Paulsen says that the food crisis is a chance to make personal connections within the community between those who have what they need and those who are not as fortunate. Paulsen has a "small sustainable homestead" with gardens, a large greenhouse, and chickens. Her family has the food they need year round. Since her children have moved out, Paulsen says her homestead produces a lot of extra food, which she donates to charities in her community.

"The most important aspect of coping with the rising food prices all around us is to be aware someone near you might be hungry," says Paulsen.

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