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Editor’s note: This article was written by Todd Miller and originally appeared on his personal blog. Todd recently had the food storage advertisement that was on the top of the blog for most of December.
We have a problem in the United States. Ok, we have quite a few challenges right now but there’s one in particular that we as individuals can personally control and many choose not to. Our problem is food storage…or lack thereof.
Let’s face it, we all need food and cannot live without it, yet many people have less than seven days worth of it on hand. Making a case for having long term food storage is pretty simple but getting people to act is not. In most situations it comes down to personal experience as to whether or not a person decides to take action and have “food insurance”.
If you compare having food storage to something like life insurance or saving for retirement there are several similarities as to why people don’t take action. They have heard all the benefits of protecting their family’s financial future with insurance and retirement savings but put off preparing for a later time, which by then it’s too late. Food is even more vital because you can only go several days without it!
When it comes to food many people have a hard time believing that their supply could be cut off for a prolonged period of time.
Look at how those who have several months to a years worth of food storage are sometimes mocked and ridiculed as hoarders and doomsdayers. People have gotten so comfortable with a plentiful supply of food because there’s a grocery store within a couple miles of most homes. Probably nothing other than a moderate snow or rain storm has affected their ability to access food.
My family and I never had long term food storage.
When I was growing up, my parents never had even a moderate amount of food storage in case of an emergency. Heck, with three boys in the house we were lucky to have two days worth of food in the house! More recently for me it wasn’t until about a year ago that I had more than one week’s worth of food storage. Luckily, our family never had a real food emergency, otherwise we would have been looking to someone else for help.
This is where most people are in their thought process regarding food storage right now.
They know it’s a good idea but they never actually ran out of food for an extended period of time and prices have been pretty stable the last 20-30 years. The only people that experienced long term food shortages are those that were affected by a major flood, earthquake, hurricane or other natural disaster. I’m sure if you ask them before and after their ordeal if they have food reserves you would get very different responses.
So other than preparing in case of a natural disaster, why start your own food storage? Let’s review the top 3 reasons why you should have food stored away and why you should do it right now. Why right now? Because we live in unique times.
The challenges we face now and in the next several years are global. Not only can an event in the United States affect our ability to obtain food, but so can a global one.
Which One Of These Reasons For Food Storage Will Soon Affect You?
In order of importance…
1. Inflation – Why is this number one? Because there’s not much you can do to control the price of the food you buy. Prices are set by the market and you can only adjust your eating habits and how much you buy based on how much you can afford. Most people that shop for food have noticed some moderate increase in the prices at the grocery store. However, this is just the beginning. Take a look at the stats below and you’ll see why you should be concerned about inflation and even the possibility of hyperinflation in the near future.
According to the National Inflation Association, in September and October of 2010:
– corn prices rose by 29%
– soybean prices rose by 22%
– orange juice prices rose by 17%
– sugar prices rose by 51%
– wheat prices rose 36% since the beginning of July
In just the month of November 2010:
– the cost of food rose 1 full percentage point, equivalent to 12%
annual inflation.
– eggs rose by 23%
– fruit jumped 14%
From December 1 to December 15, 2010:
– corn was up 3%
– coffee was up more than 8%
– sugar was up 8.49%
– oats were up nearly 6%
2. Disruptions in the Supply Chain – In many areas throughout the country the food supply is not generated locally. In fact, we import a large portion of our food from countries with no safety standards for insecticides, fertilizers, bacterial and chemical contamination.
Because most of our food is not from local sources we are much more susceptible to a variety of disruptions not only in the US but now globally as well. Any of the following events around the world could cause food shortages: natural disasters, terrorist attacks, crop failures, major shifts in political power, spike in fuel costs, etc.
3. Unemployment – Unfortunately this scenario has hit home with a large percentage of people in the last 2 years. As of the writing of this article the unemployment rate stands at just under 10% (according to government records). That’s 1 in 10 people that are out of work and the outlook is not expected to improve anytime soon.
As a result, we have seen the number of people on food stamps hit an all-time high in 2010. Take away the possibility of losing a job for a moment and let’s say you had some kind of illness for an extended period of time. Would you have the money and/or food storage to see you through until you were back on your feet?
In the end, the biggest reason for starting your own food storage is self-reliance. If a natural disaster, unemployment, inflation or even hyperinflation occurs, those without food storage and basic supplies will be reliant on someone else which in many cases will be the government. I don’t know about you but I don’t like to be reliant on anyone else for much of anything, especially food.
Will there be a time in the near future that we experience food shortages for whatever reason?
No one knows for sure but the number of people seeking food storage is growing which is a step in the right direction. The worst that could happen if everyone has a lot of extra food is that they have to eat it and share it with others. When/If times do get tough, the stronger communities, families and individuals will be those with plenty of food on hand.
PS. There are many ways to start your own food storage. Many people are educated and skilled at canning food while others use store-bought items and do well rotating it on a regular basis. For me, the best way was pre-packaged, dehydrated food with a long shelf life (15 yrs +). If you would like to learn more about the company and try some of their food for free you can do so by clicking here.
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