Food prices and costs continue to rise, affecting students and families in Cicero. Food inflation can pose a severe problem.

According to ChatGPT, food inflation can be caused by various factors and depends on specific situations. Weather conditions, for example, can damage certain crops, leading to reduced production and shipping. Due to these setbacks, prices may rise due to a lack of goods. Natural disasters can also influence distribution and prices. For instance, Florida, with international markets and hurricanes, can experience slowdowns in packaging houses, causing many regions and countries to increase the value of their products due to shipping problems. Food inflation disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including low-income households and those in developing countries. Since a significant portion of their income is spent on food, rising food prices can lead to food insecurity and reduced access to nutrition. Governments often implement policies to mitigate food inflation. These policies may include subsidies to reduce the cost of essential food items, price controls, and interventions in agricultural markets to stabilize prices. Food inflation is not solely driven by the basic principles of supply and demand. Speculation in commodity markets, changes in exchange rates, and energy prices (which affect transportation and production costs) can also contribute to food price increases.

In a survey of 100 Morton East students, 67% of them said they have noticed rising food prices when shopping.

“Food inflation can affect the lower class because they may not be able to buy as much food as they used to. The dollar doesn’t stretch as far as it used to,” said social science teacher Ms. Joy Davila.

However, there are ways for people to cope with this issue.

“Families can create budgets and meal plans. Creating a meal plan can help because you will only buy what you need to make your meals, preventing you from buying extra ingredients and foods you do not need. Always check your fridge and pantry to see what you already have and make a list of what you need before you go to the store. Shopping in various stores can help reduce your food bill,” Ms. Davila suggested.

Prices may vary in different locations.

“I tend to shop at my local Mariano’s, Jewel, and Aldi. While there, I focus on creating meals around the items that are on sale,” she added.

Nevertheless, families will still be impacted by this issue.

“Food inflation has a very negative effect, especially on families with lower incomes. Those with lower incomes do not have the additional income available to put towards rising food costs. This will lead to many families having to make difficult choices on what items they can purchase,” said Sociology/CVE Teacher Mr. Doogan.

What do Morton students think about this?

“I for sure think food prices have gone up, and I don’t think it’s fair for anyone because there are families out there that can barely get through the bills. There are also homeless children, women, and men who collect little to no money and can’t even get a sandwich at the store. This impacts everyone,” said Morton student Betsabe Solis.