Price, price. And what else? From the price. The food industry is not getting out of this and will not get out any time soon from this collective obsession of Western consumers to pay less for their food. The fact is that 70 years of continuous decline in the share devoted to the food budget by households has ended up destroying not only the price of the product, but also the cultural value attributed to the contents of the plate. In turn, this accessorization of the culinary world has fueled the development of processed dishes that have become competitive thanks to the ability of manufacturers to control prices by replacing raw ingredients with all kinds of emulsifiers, colorings and flavor enhancers. Even completely artificial flavors like these molecular combinations which perfectly imitate the scent of truffles (Beware for Christmas…).
Producer prices less and less sensitive to the level of domestic supply.
Let us unfortunately be reassured: the balance of power is not likely to be shaken by the drop in French agricultural production, and particularly livestock production. Quite simply because the agri-food industry and distribution are increasingly turning to imports which offer ultra-competitive prices to meet the imperative of low prices. This supply route, which has been strengthening in broad strokes in recent years, each time dampens the hope of farmers who were counting on the reduction in domestic supply to boost prices at the farm gate. Illusion… Producer prices are less and less sensitive to the volume of local supply when 50% of poultry consumed in France is imported, 25% of Emmental, 25% of beef, 28% of vegetables and 70 % of fruit. The rejection of the Mercorsur agreement by farmers legitimately adds to all this frustration and powerlessness to act.
France
