Food Rationing?

Brett Arends writes in the Wall Street Journal that we need to stockpile food and prepare for rapid increases in the costs of necessities in the U.S. I have no clue whether he's correct, but his article reflects some sense of just how bizarre this month has been. Here's a snip:

I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food.

No, this is not a drill.

You've seen the TV footage of food riots in parts of the developing world. Yes, they're a long way away from the U.S. But most foodstuffs operate in a global market. When the cost of wheat soars in Asia, it will do the same here.

Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.