Increasing Food Prices

A common and persistent theme over the past couple years in prepping and survival blogs has been food prices.  I have seen various numbers relating to the percentage of increase in general food prices as well as specific individual commodities, but every one of them shows "up".  And not just up, but up at a much higher rate than standard inflation should be driving it.  What effect will greatly increased food prices have on us as individuals and our society in general?

If you do an internet search for rising food prices, it seems like all of the MSM (main stream media) outlets have had an article or two on the trend.  When you read these articles you see that they are merely doing lip service in reporting the problem.  All they talk about is how it is caused by higher fuel prices and how it will affect the lower income families by forcing them to apportion a couple more percent of their income to their food budget.

If that was the only result we wouldn't be doing too badly.  But if you look deeper, you find more problems.  THIS article associates higher food prices with the outbreak of riots.  It was after reading that particular association that I really put thought into food prices.  What would that do to me, and those around me?  Could large scale riots really happen in these United States and in my hometown?  I have come to my own conclusions after thinking it over and pondering what my immediate neighbors might do if times got worse.

So the question is WWYD if prices rose enough to impact you in a negative way?  What will you do now to prepare for that seemingly inevitable occurrence?

I, personally, am slowly expanding my pantry and learning to garden.
-A pantry can be built slowly with long term storeable goods for very cheap if you buy the things on sale, or can be built quickly with a large influx of cash.  Even a full pantry is a limited option.
-Gardening is your unlimited option, but it can't be learned overnight.  There are so many local variables to be considered, it is something that must be learned over time with trial and error. 

Some of the resources I use and highly recommend for information and ideas are Jack Spirko, Marjory Wildcraft, Alexander Wolf, and John Robb. 

THIS is a decent spot to look at some historical prices of popular commodities.