Since then the North Africa and Middle East protests have made conditions even harder, pushing the price of oil back over $100 a barrel.
Hundreds of thousands of people have flooded in from the countryside to find work and opportunity, but increasingly the reason they give for moving is that frequent droughts, erratic rainfall, heatwaves, unseasonal frosts and floods have made conditions too hard to grow crops.
Also, as mechanization of the harvesting is increasing and only feasible in flat terrain, more workers are being used in areas where conditions are not suitable for mechanized harvesting equipment, such as rough areas where the crops are planted irregularly, making working conditions harder and more hazardous.
Younger children may have a more vague pain or stomachache, making the condition harder to diagnose.
"For many, MS is a fluctuating condition and research has shown symptoms can worsen when people are anxious or stressed, ultimately making their condition harder to manage, or more costly for the NHS to treat.
Comorbidity is more common in deprived populations, and may make diagnosis of all conditions harder for doctors within the constraints of a short consultation.
William C. Ford Jr., the chairman and chief executive, said "difficult business conditions make it harder to achieve the goals we set for ourselves in many areas, including corporate citizenship".
The recent jump in bond yields in some euro-area countries has raised mortgage rates for new borrowers.And low rates need to be balanced against the fact that tighter credit conditions make it harder for homebuyers to get mortgages.
Detention puts children at higher risk of contracting disease, and crowded, stressful conditions make it harder to recover.
As Forsyth acknowledges, conditions make that hard.
