Note:

Noteworthy is the almost constant tendency to an oscillating but progressive upwards movement of corn prices and the sky-rocketing of SMP prices over recent months on the basis of a constant increase of oil prices in the United States.
The increase in oil prices has made the search for alternative energy resources more urgent, and corn and other agricultural products (for example oilseeds) have developed as a primary source for the production of bio-fuels*.

The alternative use of agricultural products (taking away quantities from agro-food markets) has caused the sky-rocketing of corn prices as it is shown in the graph.

The increase of corn prices in return has influenced also the livestock and dairy sectors, in particular driving up milk production costs and contributing to an increase in the farm-gate price of milk.

The increase in milk prices and the limited quantities of raw milk available on the market (due to adverse climatic conditions as well as the growing demand for milk powders from emerging oil-producing countries with growing purchase power) has determined an increase in prices for SMP (and in general for all dairy products).

* Particular attention should be given to the debate on bio-fuels where different streams of thought can be distinguished:
  -   on the one hand, the research on bio-fuels could be a possible answer to both the increase in oil prices and the on-going depletion of this energy source , as well as the need to limit the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is responsible for the greenhouse effect and global warming. In this context, the growing of more green plants would actually favour the release of more oxygen and reduce pollution;
  -   on the other hand, this new approach is facing a series of criticisms from an ethical point of view related to the concern about "breaking the food pact between the earth and the mankind" and making the access to food for those who live in a situation of endemic hunger even more difficult.