Anyone who’s been to the grocery store recently may have felt the financial pinch of the escalating cost of food. Get prepared. Experts say it‘s going get worse.

According to a new study, shoppers will be paying more than twice as much for their groceries in the next twenty years, pushing many into hunger.

In ‘Growing a Better Future’, researchers at Oxfam International warn “we have entered a new age of crisis where depletion of the earth’s natural resources and the impact of increasingly severe climate changes will create millions more hungry people.”

They say the capacity to increase production can not keep up the world’s growing demand for food. Since 1990, the average growth rate in agricultural yields has almost declined by half and is set to decrease even more in the next decade. Meanwhile, they predict the demand for food will increase 70 percent by the year 2050.

Nearly 925 million people go hungry each day, according to Oxfam.

“Our world is capable of feeding all of humanity yet one in seven of us are hungry today,“ said Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam. “Feeding the world will get harder still. Millions more men, women and children will go hungry unless we transform our broken food system.”

Oxfam International is a group of independent non-governmental campaigning to reduce poverty and injustice.

They released the report to mark the launch of Oxfam’s new Grow campaign, which kicks off on Wednesday.

The group is calling on governments around the world to lead the transformation to a fairer more sustainable food system. It is also calling on the private sector to shift to a business model where profit does not come at the expense of poor producers, consumers and the environment.

"The food system is pretty well bust in the world," Oxfam Chief Executive Barbara Stocking told reporters, while announcing the launch of the Grow campaign.

"All the signs are that the number of people going hungry is going up," Stocking said.

Oxfam attributes much of the increase in food prices to environmental factors and severe climate changes. The report also blames commodities traders, saying three companies control 90 percent of the trade in grain.
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Get invovled locally

Approximately 35,000 children in Mecklenburg County are in danger of going hungry each day. That's more than 5,000 above the pre-recession levels, reports the Charlotte Observer.

In the 19-county region served by Second Harvest Food Bank, the number of children without enough food is closer to 140,000.

Loaves & Fishes, which operates 18 food pantries, says it has seen a 300 percent jump in referrals in the past year of schoolchildren in need of food.

Helping those in need does not always require some grand gesture. Here are three ways to help:

1. Give a bit. Second Harvest Food Bank is the regional food distribution center for over 600 non-profit agencies including emergency pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and others. Register to sponsor an old fashion food drive. Don’t want to hassle with barrels, pick ups or deliveries? Host a virtual drive. Log onto www.secondharvestmetrolina.org for more details.

2. Eat like a king. The King’s Kitchen (129 W. Trade St.) is a not for profit restaurant in Uptown Charlotte serving up delicious southern cuisine made with local ingredients. The proceeds go to help feed those in need. The restaurant also partners with area ministries to provide employment opportunities to Charlotteans in search of a job. www.kingskitchen.org.

3. Do a good deed. Reach out and help a stranger, child’s friend, neighbor, family member, co-worker or struggling college student. If you know someone in a messy financial situation, offer to help. Take them to lunch or buy them groceries. If you think offering help will hurt their pride, don’t mention their financial situation. Simply invite them to lunch and pick up the tab or find a way to give anonymously.

***We want to hear from you. Please use the comment section below to share opportunities to pay it forward in the community. Do you know of any local organizations or ministries doing something to help the needy?

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