Prices that grow (them too). In its annual observatory of the prices of everyday consumer goods published on Friday 21 January, the association Families Rurales observes “contained inflation in 2021”, “except for fruit and vegetables whose prices have jumped 9% in two years”, from September 2019 to September 2021.
“Showing nearly a 10% increase in two years, it is not surprising to see some consumers turn away, especially those with small budgets”, regrets the association, which is asking for the establishment of a “fruit and vegetable voucher” in 2022, “so as not to divert families with the most modest budgets from these healthy foods”.
Rural families has also calculated that eating in accordance with the recommendations of the national health nutrition plan costs, for a family of four (two adults, a teenager and a child) between 450 euros (varying the products less but respecting the diversity categories and seasonality) and 1,148 euros for a family “organic enthusiast”. This is the overall monthly budget for feeding a family. “At this price, all organic is far from being within reach of all budgets”, ccomments on Rural Families, which recalls that “To stay healthy, the main thing is to consume enough fruit and vegetables, whether they are organic or not”.
Generally, “Familes Rurales calls on the public authorities to develop a much more ambitious policy promoting healthy eating by allowing everyone to have access to it”. She believes that“Investing in a nutritional program combining prevention and help for the most precarious is the key to curbing the development of too many pathologies linked to the consumption of products that are too fatty, too sweet, too salty in too large quantities”.
The association further notes “the substantial price difference between the same shopping basket purchased in mainland France and that purchased overseas”, price readings having been made on the same products as those made in mainland France on Reunion, Mayotte, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Verdict: “the same basket of products costs nearly 50% more than in mainland France”.
The Rural Families survey was carried out over four periods, February, April, June and October 2021 in 148 stores (hypermarkets, supermarkets, predominantly own-brand brands such as hard-discounts, organic specialists), by a team of 107 “monitors consumption” in 37 departments.