{"id":17306,"date":"2025-09-11T18:45:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T16:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/?p=17306"},"modified":"2026-10-24T15:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T13:04:03","slug":"meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/meat\/","title":{"rendered":"When Meat Becomes a Luxury: Egypt\u2019s Struggle for Affordable Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Social media was abuzz last July with a <\/span>video<\/span><\/a> showing an elderly woman kissing the hand of the Governor of Giza, pleading with him to provide her with a little “meat”. While the governor regarded it as an event worth celebrating, after he fulfilled the woman’s request, a state of anger prevailed among citizens, who saw in the woman’s pleading a degradation of the dignity of the Egyptian citizen, relating to the squandering of his inherent constitutional right to obtain healthy food and a decent life.<\/span><\/p>\n

The scene, which Egyptians circulated with a degree of sorrow and perhaps shame, once again shed light on a compound crisis relating to the collapse of the purchasing power of those on limited and middle incomes, in light of the escalating prices of basic goods, foremost among them meat. This is happening at a time when living costs are rising at an unprecedented rate, and millions of citizens find themselves forced to redefine their basic needs and gradually give them up, even those linked to the simplest essentials of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

A survey conducted by Zawia3 in the course of preparing this report, covering 100 participants representing the majority of Egypt’s governorates, most of them in the 25\u201340 age group and with a university level of education, shows that they have been significantly affected by the rise in meat prices. The overwhelming majority (89%) have seen their purchasing power decline compared with last year, attributing this mainly to “rising prices” (96%). This has led to a decrease in the rate of consumption, as 43% of participants eat meat only once a month. To cope with this high cost, most of them (73%) resort to buying smaller quantities. What is striking is that 79% feel that being unable to buy meat affects their sense of dignity. There is near-total consensus (100%) on the need for state intervention, with the government held most responsible for these high prices (52%).<\/span><\/p>\n

The latest<\/span> data<\/span><\/a> from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) show that the poverty rate in Egypt reached 29.7% as of mid-2024, meaning that nearly 30 million Egyptians live below the poverty line, that is, on less than EGP 857 per person per month. But more importantly, these figures do not include millions of others who live “just above the poverty line” but suffer from food deficits, due to rising prices and the deterioration of the value of the pound. In this context, economists speak of the phenomenon of “invisible poverty”, whereby some families are not included in official statistics despite their inability to secure basic needs, foremost among them animal protein. Meanwhile, unofficial<\/span> estimates<\/span><\/a> indicate that the real rate may be higher than that.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Meat<\/p>\n

Recommended reading:<\/b> The Minimum Wage in Egypt\u2026 A Law That Does Not Apply to Half the People<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The Giza woman is not alone..<\/b><\/h1>\n

In the heart of Egypt’s working-class neighbourhoods, meat is no longer part of the daily or even weekly table. Rather, for many families, it has turned into a memory linked to days that may not return. Testimonies collected by “Zawia3” capture this radical transformation in people’s relationship with one of the most prominent sources of food, which has become, in the eyes of many, an unattainable commodity.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Bulaq El-Dakrour district, Umm Abdallah, a woman in her fifties who works cleaning clothes, sat speaking in a low voice about the changes that have affected her home and her table: “We have not eaten meat since last Eid al-Adha; meat has become food for the rich. When I long for its taste, I ask the butcher for a little fat or skin to add to the food, just so that my children feel there is a taste of meat, but it is a taste, nothing more.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In El-Marg, Mr Yassin, the driver of a small vehicle who supports a wife and three children, says that meat used to be present in his home every week, but it has disappeared completely over the last two years: “I used to buy a kilogram of meat every week, to provide some nutrition for my children. Today, the price of a kilo has exceeded EGP 400, and this is an amount I cannot afford. We now live on fava beans, lentils and eggs, and sometimes my children ask me: when will we eat meat? And I answer them: God willing, good things will come.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In Ezbet El-Nakhl, Ms Nesrine A., a widow and mother of two children, tells of her continuous attempts to secure the bare minimum of food: “Meat has not entered my home for more than a year. Only on occasions might I be able to buy a little if a relative helps me. I go to the markets late to buy chicken feet at a reduced price, and I try to make soup from them that makes my children feel that we are eating protein, even if only psychologically.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In Shubra El-Kheima, fatigue showed on the features of Hajj Mansour, a butcher for more than thirty years, who sat in front of his empty shop and said: “In the past, people used to buy two or three kilos of meat. Today, customers pass by to ask about the price and then leave. Sometimes some women ask me for bones to make broth, and I give them what I can free of charge. Sales have declined to an unprecedented degree, as if meat has disappeared from our lives.”<\/span><\/p>\n

These testimonies reflect a reality that goes beyond mere material hardship, to a real food crisis affecting the most vulnerable classes. The issue is no longer linked to changing habits, but to the absence of ability. In a country that is supposed to secure the right to food for all its citizens, meat has become a painful luxury that only those who can afford it can manage.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the data we collected through the survey clearly reveal a sharp economic shock suffered by the participating families, who consist mostly of the educated, middle-income category in urban areas. The decline in purchasing power among 89% of the sample is not merely a statistic, but evidence that the increase in meat prices has far outstripped any growth in their incomes. With 96% pointing to “rising prices” as the main reason, it becomes clear that the problem is not a change in tastes, but a direct cost-of-living crisis that strikes at the heart of family budgets and turns what was a basic commodity into an unattainable luxury.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same context, <\/span> data<\/span><\/a> issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicate that the proportion of Egyptians unable to afford the cost of a healthy diet reached about 85%, according to published estimates of the results for 2019, one of the highest rates in the world. In addition, about 45% of Egyptians are unable to afford a diet that meets even the basic requirements of calories and energy, that is, a “balanced diet” at the very least. This situation excludes broad groups from the possibility of buying animal proteins, such as meat, which have indeed become beyond the reach of the overwhelming majority of citizens.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Faced with this reality, citizens had no choice but to adopt forced coping strategies. The most common solution, “buying smaller quantities” (73%), represents an explicit admission of defeat in the face of high prices. Likewise, some people’s resort to cheaper alternatives or reliance on charities does not reflect flexible choices, but rather solutions born of necessity. What is striking is that 60% do not see real alternatives to meat, which means that these solutions are merely temporary painkillers that, in their view, do not compensate for the nutritional and cultural value of meat, which aggravates the sense of deprivation.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Per capita share declining alarmingly<\/b><\/h1>\n

For his part, Dr Karim El-Omda, professor of political economy, stresses in exclusive statements to Zawia3 that the repercussions of the economic crisis in Egypt have been reflected directly in citizens’ food consumption patterns, pointing to a clear decline in the per capita share of animal protein in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

El-Omda explains that red meat recorded its highest per capita consumption rates in 2007, when the average per capita share reached about 13 kilograms annually, but this figure began to decline gradually until it reached only about 7.5 kilos by 2022. White meat and fish followed the same path, as the per capita share of poultry, which used to range between 14 and 16 kilograms, declined, while fish consumption also fell from 23 kilograms annually in 2016 and 2017 to only 16 kilos in 2022.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

El-Omda believes that this sharp decline is linked to the rise in the prices of these basic goods, which has pushed a broad segment of citizens to reduce the quantities consumed or to resort to less costly alternatives, such as starches, to compensate for the nutritional gap. He added: “We are most likely facing a further decline in the consumption of animal protein during 2023 and 2024, in light of continuing economic pressures, even if recent official data confirming this have not yet been issued.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The professor of political economy considered that this decline should not be viewed only as an economic indicator, but also as a public health crisis, given the negative effects that reduced protein consumption has on the citizen’s physical capacity and productivity. El-Omda called on the government to adopt an integrated social protection plan that guarantees the provision of sources of animal protein at reasonable prices, stressing the importance of rapid intervention to stop this erosion of Egyptians’ food security.<\/span><\/p>\n

Writer and economic researcher Mervana Maher agrees with him, saying in a statement to Zawia3 that the recent economic crisis has not only led to a change in Egyptians’ purchasing power, but has imposed a radical transformation in consumption behaviour and the management of the family budget. She explains: “We cannot say that people have stopped eating and drinking, as these are basics, but they have clearly rearranged their priorities. There is a reduction in the purchase of unnecessary goods, and the replacement of many imported products with local alternatives, in addition to giving up some forms of luxury that were previously available.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Mervana believes that many families have come to resort to restructuring their budgets entirely, whether by reducing spending, the growing trend towards buying in instalments, or greater reliance on charities to provide some basic needs, particularly with regard to food.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>She warns that “the gap between income and basic needs is likely to widen in the coming period, with the government announcing new increases in the prices of services such as electricity and household gas, in addition to the continuation of plans to restructure subsidies”. She points out that the incomes of most families, especially those with limited resources, do not in any way keep pace with the successive price increases.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Commenting on the role of government initiatives such as discounted goods fairs, the economic researcher stresses that they are a positive step that has partially helped in confronting high prices, but they are still limited, and need better geographical expansion and wider coverage in the areas most in need.<\/span><\/p>\n

Commenting on the incident of the Giza woman, Mervana says: “What this woman said is not an anomalous phenomenon, but rather an expressive example of the poverty whose rates we know well, and whose pain we often ignore.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Recommended reading:<\/b> 70 Million per Seat: Who Is Buying Their Way into Egypt’s Parliament?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>
\nWhat is the government doing? And is it enough?<\/b><\/h1>\n

In the face of this sharp decline in citizens’ purchasing power, the Egyptian government has launched a number of initiatives to control meat prices and ensure their availability at reduced prices, most notably the “Ahlan Ramadan”<\/span> fairs<\/span><\/a> and the “discounted retail chains”, in addition to<\/span> expanding<\/span><\/a> meat imports from countries such as Sudan and Brazil, and making them available through the outlets of the ministries of supply and agriculture and the armed forces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these efforts, their impact is still limited in the view of economic experts, given that the crisis lies not only in the abundance of supply, but in the erosion of incomes and the rise in the cost of living in general. Imported frozen meat, although cheaper than local meat, has also seen its prices rise noticeably, with the price of a kilo reaching about EGP 180 to 200, a figure that remains beyond the reach of families living at subsistence level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Official<\/span> data<\/span><\/a> indicate that the Egyptian government imported more than 200,000 head of cattle during 2024 to meet local demand, yet prices did not fall, which confirms that the problem is not in supply alone, but in the absence of a comprehensive policy to regulate markets and raise purchasing power.<\/span><\/p>\n

The survey we conducted shows a rare state of consensus, as 100% of participants demand state intervention to control prices, which reflects a complete loss of confidence in the ability of market mechanisms to correct themselves. This absolute demand puts the ball directly in the government’s court, which is confirmed by the result of 52% of participants holding “the government” mainly responsible for the high prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Recommended reading:<\/b> The IMF vs. the Army’s Economic Empire: How Does It See It? And How Did Egypt Respond?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>
\nAre we facing a silent food crisis?<\/b><\/h1>\n

Amid the sharp decline in meat consumption, and the inability to compensate for it with alternative proteins of the same nutritional value, the current crisis raises an important question: is what we are seeing today merely a result of high prices, or are we facing the first signs of a silent food crisis creeping quietly into Egyptian society without receiving sufficient attention?<\/span><\/p>\n

Official bodies in Egypt do not speak of a “food crisis” in direct terms, but field indicators and UN data place the country among the states facing a growing gap in securing proper nutrition for broad segments of the population. The FAO classified Egypt, in its<\/span> report<\/span><\/a> on food security in the Middle East for 2024, as one of the countries whose populations suffer from a large rise in the cost of food relative to income levels, which hinders access to balanced nutrition.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the absence of real structural intervention, this crisis is not an emergency circumstance, but a structural transformation that is reshaping the Egyptian citizen’s relationship with his food. When meat turns into a class luxury, protein is confined to eggs or lentils, and “bone broth” becomes a nutritional trick, we are not talking only about a supply issue, but about a flaw in the structure of social justice and the absence of the minimum level of protection, according to observers.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, experts in economics and social policy warn that underestimating these transformations could lead to far-reaching consequences, whether in terms of public health or social stability. Food security is not a luxury, but one of the foundations of societal stability. With rising poverty rates, the absence of market oversight and policies lacking real distributive justice, the food gap may widen further and turn into a permanent source of tension and resentment.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Amid the sharp decline in meat consumption, and the inability to compensate for it with alternative proteins of the same nutritional value, the current crisis raises an important question: is what we are seeing today merely a result of high prices, or are we facing the first signs of a silent food crisis creeping quietly into Egyptian society without receiving sufficient attention<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[413],"tags":[],"kateb":[6247],"class_list":["post-17306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-en","kateb-rasha-ammar"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/\u0627\u0644\u0644\u062d\u0648\u0645-1.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17306"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24069,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17306\/revisions\/24069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17306"},{"taxonomy":"kateb","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zawia3.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kateb?post=17306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}