What a difference a year makes. In 2008, food prices worldwide rose rapidly, spurred by skyrocketing energy prices and rising global demand. A year later, food prices are down 10 percent, easing some of the stress on families hit hard by the recent economic downturn, according to the third quarter American Farm Bureau Marketbasket Survey.

The survey also shows that shoppers found even better deals on Iowa-produced food items like cheddar cheese, ground chuck, milk, ham, chicken breast and sirloin tip roast over the last quarter. Overall, the items in the Farm Bureau marketbasket fell less than 1 percent this quarter, but this is the fourth consecutive quarter showing a decrease in price.

At the same time, the nation’s livestock farmers continue to experience losses as a result of historically high feed costs, depressed global demand for meat, eggs and milk and misinformation about H1N1 influenza. Over the past year, hog farmers have lost around $20 per pig, beef growers have lost $120 per head and dairy farmers have lost $3 to $5 per hundredweight of milk.

“While the decline in global demand has helped bring prices down for shoppers, a combination of decreased demand and other factors has made things more difficult for farmers, particularly those who raise livestock,” said Dave Miller, director of research and commodity services for the Iowa Farm Bureau.

“Despite the tremendous efficiency of the American farmer, the profit margins in farming are narrow, and there is a relentless cost-price squeeze,” Miller said.

“Narrow margins and high efficiency are reflected in the farmer’s small share of the food dollar, 19 cents.

“American farmers are doing their part in keeping food affordable for consumers,” he said. ”But those tight margins also mean that farmers and their families are more susceptible to downturns in demand, like we’ve seen as a result of the weak economy.”