Beef consumption in Argentina falls to lowest in a century

Beef is becoming an increasingly rare luxury for the majority of Argentines who have cut meat from their diets to the lowest level in a century, a new report by the Rosario Board of Trade has revealed.

If the trend continues, per capita consumption in 2024 will close at around 44.8 kilos per capita, the lowest figure in more than a century, the study reported.

In Argentina – a national famed for the quality of its beef – historical average consumption of the food is 72.9 kilos per year per inhabitant.

The decline is the result of runaway inflation, which was 280 percent year-on-year as of May, and a deep economic recession with a generalised collapse of all activities, according to official indices.

More than half of Argentina's population of 45 million is currently considered poor, according to recent private data.

In Buenos Aires City, the nation's capital, extreme poverty doubled from 8 to 16 per ent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.