While rising food prices instigate food riots around the world, the world's largest agricultural companies have had huge increases in profits this year.  The Wall Street Journal has the news:

• Grain-processing giant Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.'s third-quarter profits jumped 42%.
• Monsanto Co., maker of seeds and herbicides, saw its profit in the latest quarter more than double.
• Deere & Co., which builds tractors, combines and sprayers, posted a 55% rise in earnings in its latest quarter.
• Fertilizer maker Mosaic Co's third-quarter net income jumped about 12-fold.
• Cargill Inc.'s profits jumped 86% to $1 billion in the latest quarter.
• Bunge Ltd.'s, which sells fertilizer and processes and stores grains saw its earnings rise 20-fold to $289 million.

Morningstar analyst Ann Gilpin says that the amount of profit is related to a company's place in the food chain.  Those companies that work most directly with farmers are gaining the most from increases in food and grain prices while companies that are impacted by higher food and grain prices, like meat producers Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's Pride are not.  Tyson posted a $5 million loss in its latest quarter while Pilgrim's Pride plans to cut its weekly chicken processing by 5% to counteract high grain costs.