Fruit and vegetable prices: "There is a gap with wage increases," warns an association

A healthy and balanced diet requires eating fruit. Fruit prices have increased by 7% in one year for organic and 2% for conventional , according to the Rural Families Observatory, revealed exclusively by RMC. It should be noted, however, that vegetable prices have decreased by 3% for organic and 1% for conventional.

Except that over 10 years, "the prices of fruits and vegetables have jumped by 60% while the average salary per capita has only increased by half as much (27%). There is a clear gap between the price of these products, which are essential to our health, and the increase in salaries," explains Nadia Ziane, director of the consumption department at the Familles Rurales association, on RMC .

"Organic is popular, but how do you manage, on a tight budget, when you have to consume these products in large quantities? To be healthy, you need to eat at least 400g of fruits and vegetables per day," reminds Nadia Ziane.

"We must not pit producers against consumers. Because they are the two big losers in the "food chain," she also says, pointing the finger at the responsibility of large-scale distribution, recalling that it makes a profit in the fruit and vegetable sections but a deficit in pastries and cakes.

"The logic is completely reversed. We should limit margins on products that everyone needs to be healthy, even if it means increasing them on products that, if consumed too regularly, are potentially harmful," advocates Nadia Ziane.

"Even if we isolate the 5 least expensive organic fruits and vegetables in our basket, this budget amounts to €103 every month for a family of four. This is 10% more than in 2024 and represents 7.3% of a net monthly minimum wage," explains Famille rurales in its observatory.

As a reminder, a majority of non-organic fruits sold in France in 2022 contained at least one detected pesticide residue associated with a danger to human health (carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor, etc.), according to an analysis by the NGO Générations futures published last December based on official data.

In total, 62% of non-organic fruits and vegetables analyzed contained at least one pesticide residue (80% of fruits, 48% of vegetables), according to 1,996 samples of 35 foods from the latest data from the food monitoring plan (General Directorate for Competition DGCCRF and Customs Directorate DGCCI).

Also, the "Duplomb-Menonville" law, named after the right-wing and centrist senators who introduced it, has drawn criticism due to the conditional reintroduction of a pesticide, acetamiprid, banned in France since 2018 but authorized in Europe.

Its use is demanded by beet and hazelnut producers, who believe they have no alternative against pests and suffer unfair competition from their European competitors.

In May, the government announced to the Organic Agency, responsible for the development, promotion and structuring of the sector, the elimination of the 5 million euros dedicated to its communication and of nearly 10 million euros going to support projects for the year 2025.