i'd also like to point out that during the era of "victory gardens", many more americans lived on farmland and thus there was more production across the board...i'm sure that could've helped to stabilize the prices of commodities like food...today I think it's like 3% of the population is involved in farming and food processing. the processing of food has turned food into a much more lucrative business, but at a cost to the health of the consumer obviously. In return, as the rest of the economy has expanded technologically, the convenience offered by a lower-quality processed food still commands top margins for profit as it preserves longer (whether through drying foods, preserving with salt, or other artificial preservatives).
technology is a double-edged sword and cannot account for the quality and integrity (or lack thereof) of consumer products. I've always found the quality to reside in craftsmanship
if america reverted back to a more basic model and more people had livestock/gardens, I think the food system could be solved and we'd live much less-stressed lives while consuming fewer resources (fossil fuels, electricity expenses for freezers/refrigerators) ...
...AND (this is big)...the model for the family farm cuts out the middle man (food retailer- grocery stores). this lowers prices as you're buying direct and there's more transparency in food sources- checks and balances are maintained by consumers to ensure quality, and the money pools back into the community (as best it can with our monetary system and the FED's constant manipulation anyway)
Ever since the capitalist model was adopted where urban areas have become the homestead of commerce-trading, the production as WELL AS the trading of goods has been centralized and consolidated
it takes baby-steps to do these things for yourself- grow some veggies you love, save money while ur at it, enjoy the sunny outdoors, build that chicken coup, use that chicken waste for your tomatoes, cukes, squash, peppers, and bud...the organic cycle produces the best results in every way