You may be noticing alarming price rises in your local grocery store, and a study has revealed that many Americans are experiencing the same thing.

What's happening?

According to NBC, New York-based nonprofit Hunger Free America surveyed more than 1,700 families earning less than $100,000 to discover trends in grocery prices. This income bracket is considered to be the upper middle class.

It found that "over 80% [of respondents] said food costs more, and 55% of families said it's harder to afford the amount and quality of food they need." 

Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg presented the findings in November on Capitol Hill. The U.S. Department of Agriculture stopped conducting its annual food insecurity study, so the nonprofit filled the gap. 

It found that 22% of families with children said they had to reduce portion sizes for their kids' meals. Additionally, 14% were forced to "deprive children of some meals," according to NBC.

Another survey found that 80% of the U.S.'s food charities are also struggling to provide food for clients.

According to Ramsey Solutions, there are several reasons food prices are so high, including inflation, higher production and labor costs, global supply chain disruption, and droughts and flooding impacting crop yields. 

While extreme weather events such as storms and droughts are always going to happen, rising global temperatures are intensifying them, making growing conditions even more difficult.

Food waste is also a notable problem in the United States that pushes up food prices. According to the Food and Drug Administration, 30% to 40% of the nation's food supply goes to waste.

Why are rising food prices concerning?

The global food supply is also under threat due to droughts, according to the Global Drought Snapshot 2023, which was published by the International Drought Resilience Alliance and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

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Around 1.84 billion people worldwide in 2022 and 2023 lived in drought conditions, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. 

When droughts happen, they make agricultural production difficult, which can cause food shortages. That leads to a greater need for imports, which drives up grocery store prices. As Hunger Free America observed, food insecurity is hurting families. 

What's being done about rising food prices?

The best way to mitigate droughts and storms that are contributing to rising food prices is to lessen society's reliance on fuels like coal, gas, and oil, which release planet-warming gases when burned. 

To reduce your weekly grocery bill immediately, planning a shopping list can stop impulse buys at the store, helping to keep your spending in check.

Otherwise, doing more with your leftovers and throwing out less food can stretch food supplies and budgets further. 

To take things to another level, growing your own food — even if it's just a small plant on a window ledge — can reduce the need to buy fresh produce. 

You can also turn to companies like Martie, which provides highly discounted groceries by taking surplus inventory from major suppliers. Users can save up to 80% on brand-name goods.

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