Faced with inflation, French households reduce food waste

Inflation has driven less food waste in France, according to a new poll, which found that inflation remains a top concern across many European countries.

Food at a supermarket checkout counter in a store near Marseille. Inflation and the feeling that food prices have increased have pushed French people to reduce food waste by 87 percent. © Christophe Simon/AFP

As inflation hit 4.9 percent in France in 2023, households have made increased efforts to keep their food budgets under control, according to a poll conducted for the BNP Paribas-owned Cetelem consumer credit company, with 87 percent of households reducing food waste.

“Food waste was, if you wish, a victim of the strong inflation of food products,” said BNP economist Flavien Neuvy of the poll that asked households from ten European countries, including France, how they are facing inflation.

Overall, households paid more attention to their budgets in 2023, in particular to food expenses, with one out of three Europeans eating less than they did the previous year.

In France, the number was higher: 41 percent of respondents said they ate less in 2023 than they did in 2022.  

Less meat, fish

Overall, 55 percent respondents across Europe said they bought less meat or fish to cut costs, and 49 percent said they reduced the amount of organic products they bought.

The poll found that southern Europeans feel the effects of inflation more than northern Europeans, with 81 percent of respondents in Portugal saying the feel it, compared to 55 percent in France.

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While the perception of inflation not the same thing as actual inflation, it affects consumer habits and how they spend their money.

For 87 percent of respondents, across Europe, inflation is their main area of concern – more so than international conflicts or climate change.