Fair Price of Food: What the Evolution of French Consumption Reveals
The declining share of household budgets allocated to food is often discussed.
In 1960, a French household spent nearly a quarter of its income on food; today, this share is around 13%.
From that to concluding that the French spend less on food, there is a step… that should not be taken too quickly.
In reality, the overall amount of the food budget remains stable, or even slightly increasing,
but its distribution and nature have profoundly changed.
Fewer Volumes, More Services
The major phenomenon behind this transformation is neither consumer stinginess nor the price war among retailers.
It is primarily a structural decrease in volumes consumed at home.
Two main factors explain this evolution:
Demographics
The number of family meals is decreasing, households are smaller, and lifestyles are more fragmented.
Out-of-home dining
Restaurants, canteens, sandwich shops, delivery… now represent 35% of total French food consumption.
In other words, the “pie” of at-home food consumption is shrinking.
And when the pie shrinks, everyone fights harder to keep their share — hence the price war in mass retail.
The “Fair Price”: A Matter of Perception More Than Means
The data shared by Isabelle Senand clearly shows:
the French can afford an increase in the price of their food.
The “fair price” is therefore no longer solely linked to the quality of the product,
but also to the quality of service: preparation, delivery, convenience, immediate pleasure.
Their behavior proves it:
spending on out-of-home dining is growing faster than the volumes consumed.
In other words, consumers agree to pay more if the added value translates into a service, an experience, or time savings.
What This Means for Producers
For farmers and processors, this evolution poses a crucial question:
How to reconnect the price of food to its real value,
that of labor, quality, and sustainability?
Promote short supply chains and products with strong regional identity.
Focus on transparency and traceability to restore trust.
Create new services around agricultural products: on-farm processing, convenient formats, enriched direct sales, partnerships with local restaurants.
Redefining the Value of Food
The “fair price” is not decreed:
it is built through the relationship between producers, processors, distributors, and consumers.
Today, the challenge is not just to sell calories,
but to restore meaning and value to the act of eating —
both on the farm and at the table.
The French are willing to pay more,
but they want to know what for.
It is up to us, collectively, to ensure that this added value also remunerates those who provide nourishment.
Source: Summary of an article by Isabelle Senand for the French Federation of Commerce and Distribution published on 2025-05-13
