The global problem of skyrocketing food prices is slowly making its way to Edmonton, experts said Thursday, driving up costs on valuable staples such as rice, corn and wheat.

In supermarkets and bakeries across the city, many owners say they are having to increase their costs from anywhere from five to 20 per cent.

"A bag of flour went from about $14 to $21," Kathryn Howden said, Food Services Manager at NAIT. "That's a very significant increase for us."

Experts blame the mark-up on increasing fuel prices and a two cent per carton environmental fee.

Corn prices are up by 26 per cent in the global market partly because of the stronger demand for ethanol gas.

MacEwan College business professor Gordon Lucyk said rising gas prices affects everything from production to distribution.

"This could be a short term thing, it could be longer term, depending on how much new supply comes into the market and how people feel about demand," he said.

The increase in food prices has ignited anger across the globe. The New York Times reports the Cairo military is being put to work baking bread while parts of sub-Saharan Africa is being inundated with food riots like never before.

Even in Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, supermarkets are limiting the amount of rice shoppers are allowed to buy.

Some experts say the large grocery chains will try to minimize the cost to consumers by looking for better purchasing deals and making their supply chain more efficient.

Yet lowering costs in North America means little for the aid organizations who are struggling to feed more and more mouths.

The World Food Program called for more funding Tuesday, saying the increase in food prices threatens 20 million of the poorest children globally.

Even people in Edmonton -- considered wealthy compared to many in Africa and parts of Asia -- said the extra costs do not go unnoticed.

"They're minimal but still it adds to what you have to fork out to go to school right," said NAIT student Clayton Gehlart.

"Well it sucks obviously because we already pay enough for tuition and everything else," Monica Logan said. "A couple of dollars every day or so makes a big difference,"

With files from Joel Gotlib