Many of the most common crops around the world, from corn to cocoa, have faced increasing volatility lately due to several factors, such as unpredictable weather.
According to FoodNavigator, vegetable oils are the latest victims of this volatility.
What's happening?
Vegetable oil prices, such as those for sunflower and rapeseed, have seen a tick upward recently due to the volatility of the agriculture market from a combination of climate factors, such as drier growing seasons, and tariffs put into place by the United States.
FoodNavigator reported that Roxanne Nikoro, an oilseeds market reporter with Expana, explained, "Due to weather-related and tariff uncertainties, price trends have been mixed; with volatility across all markets."
Why are rising vegetable oil prices concerning?
As the planet continues to overheat from gas pollution caused by the use of dirty energy and other human activities, the weather continues to become more extreme and volatile.
In the case of vegetable oils, including palm, sunflower, and rapeseed, drier weather patterns have affected the crop yield of these plants, resulting in higher prices across the board for oils made from them. Due to continuous changes in the climate, instances of drier weather, droughts, stronger storms, and more will continue to occur, burdening farmers and the crops they grow.
As crop yields continue to decrease, people will see a shortage of agricultural products, such as vegetable oils, which will cause price increases for options that are still available. This has happened with soy oil in recent years; due to other vegetable oils being less readily available, people switched to soy oil, causing the price to rise.
Besides raising the cost of everyday groceries, extreme weather can disrupt ecosystems and food supply chains, leading to less food on the shelves and increased costs for consumers.
What's being done about rising food prices?
Unfortunately, some factors affecting food prices, such as tariffs and geopolitical conflicts, are out of our control.
When it comes to environmental reasons for increased food prices, though, scientists and farmers are researching how to make crops more climate-resilient, among other things.
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Cheapest option 💰 Individuals can do their part to alleviate strain on the environment via smaller actions, such as recycling or composting, or larger ones, such as switching to an electric vehicle or using a bike instead of a car for some trips.Â
Consumers can also save money on groceries they need by planning out a shopping list ahead of time or buying in bulk.
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