STORY: At this butcher shop in Buenos Aires, workers slice a cut of beef, something that’s becoming increasingly rare.
In beef-loving Argentina, people are eating less beef than ever.
Consumption is down almost 16% this year so far.
Triple-digit inflation and a recession are forcing Argentines to tighten their belts.
Data show they are eating around 97 lbs of beef a year.
That’s down from the more than 114 lbs last year, and over 220 lbs people ate in the 1950s.
Butcher shop owner Gerardo Tomsin has noticed the shift.
“People keep coming, the issue is that they consume less. There are people who turn to other products. It is a permanent search for prices. People look for what’s more convenient and best for their pockets.”
Argentines are facing tough austerity measures from libertarian President Javier Milei.
The economy is stalled, and inflation has skyrocketed nearly 300%.
Beyond the butcher shop, families are also reducing consumption of staples like milk and vegetables.
Poverty is up, more people are homeless in major cities and lines have grown at soup kitchens.
There has also been a longer-term shift towards other meats like pork and chicken, or cheaper staples like pasta.
Miguel Schiariti, president of the local meat chamber, says it all comes down to price.
“Today you can acquire a full chicken for $2,000 pesos, or $2,100 pesos per kilo. Pork can be bought for between $3,000, $4000 pesos per kilo. The cheapest beef cut is around $5,000 or $5,500 pesos per kilo. People decide depending on their purchasing power. [And] people’s purchasing power is weakening month by month.”
Still, some like retiree Claudia San Martin refuse to give up going to the butcher.
“Argentines can eliminate anything, I believe, in difficult times like this. But we can’t do without meat. Meat is an integral part of the Argentine diet, it is as if pasta were eliminated for Italians.”
Source Agencies
