Food inflation continues to soar in the country and no end of the process is in sight, according to forecasts. The extremely steep rise in prices has a negative impact on almost the entire population, forcing a growing number of people to shoplift in order to have something to eat. The finance minister has promised a swift, new government measure, with the involvement of both retailers and manufacturers.

Soaring inflation, which has the most negative impact on food prices, is putting French people in an increasingly difficult situation. Figures released by INSEE France’s national institute of statistics, reveal that after a 13.3-percent rise in prices in January, food inflation climbed to 14.5 per cent in February. Forecasters see no end in sight, and price hikes are expected to continue in the spring.

This affects the vast majority of people, with only 9 per cent saying that steadily increasing food prices are tolerable, according to BFMTV. The rising daily expenses are forcing a growing number of people to steal food from stores.

Inflation: des Français contraints de voler pour manger pic.twitter.com/PuGAzQponr

— BFMTV (@BFMTV) March 3, 2023

A young graduate woman told the news channel’s crew that she only eats once a day and when she goes food-shopping, she cheats the system by putting only a few fruits or vegetables on the scale and sticking on their price, and then adding more of what she needs in the bag.

An older woman in her fifties is extremely distressed to have to steal in order to have something to eat. She has to manage her groceries for a family of three on 50 euros a week, so in order to reduce her expenses, she sometimes slips one or two items into her bag while queuing at the cash register. She has children to feed and simply doesn’t see any other solution, she said, justifying her deeds.

An employee of one supermarket showed the crew an empty box that originally contained a meat product, but customers had opened it and removed its content. BFMTV emphasizes that all age groups are equally affected, pointing out that the elderly are forced to shoplift food in the same way as the young. The cashier interviewed by the reporter saw with her own eyes as a young mother opened a box of ham and gave it to her children, who gobbled it up in no time. The cashier later found the empty packaging on a shelf. She said it was heart-breaking. The supermarket has seen such a high number of thefts since January that it had to hire another security guard. One of them told the crew that they handle many of the shoplifting incidents with discretion, as the perpetrators are usually people they know from the area. The guard also explained that there have been cases when he decided to pay for the stolen food, so that the shoplifter would not have to feel ashamed.

Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire also discussed the situation caused by soaring inflation. Speaking at an economic exhibition in Paris, he emphasized that the government is planning to introduce a new measure, which is not targeted, but protects the whole population, as the price hikes affect everyone.

Government spokesman Olivier Veran has also talked about the subject recently. Responding to a question by BMFTV, he said that the government was cooperating with the retail chains to take concrete measures to protect the population against the increasing prices. The government wants to ensure that people can buy several basic foodstuffs at a discount, as eating is not optional.

S’alimenter n’est pas une option.
Nous travaillons avec la grande distribution pour trouver des réponses concrètes pour les Français face á la hausse des prix. pic.twitter.com/cdOUwqlGD0

— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) March 1, 2023

The economy minister stressed at the same time that they would like to introduce the measure as swiftly as possible, starting from 15 March. However, he also pointed out that the state cannot be expected to bear all the costs alone, and he called on wholesalers and large manufacturers to do their part, Le Parisien reports. Bruno Le Maire said he hopes that a mutual agreement will be reached in the next few days to share the burden of inflation. He said that the government’s aim was not to cut the price of all products, but to ensure that all those struggling to make ends meet could buy a great variety of products at the lowest possible price points.