More money, more steak?
The numbers are clear: each Mexican is putting 13.5 kilos more of meat products on their plate than five years ago. According to the Mexican Meat Council (Comecarne), we went from 71.2 kilos per person in 2020 to levels that are not specified by 2025. An average increase of almost 3 kilos per year.
The official explanation is simple and even beautiful: the expansion of social programs and the increase in the minimum wage. More money in your pocket, more protein on the table. Sounds logical, right?
“The increase reflects that Mexicans are looking for nutritious and quality foods,”
declared Francisco Jaraleño Lara, president of Comecarne. Of course I would say it. It’s your business.
The data you don’t see
The information comes from SIAP and National Customs. They are official sources, no one disputes it. But here is my professional skepticism: a press release is not a socioeconomic analysis.
Is this increase really only due to seeking quality? Or could it be that, with skyrocketing prices for everything, animal protein continues to be perceived as the safe and accessible option for many families? Memory is short, but studies on eating habits under economic pressure don’t lie.
Celebrating the growth of consumption without asking about its distribution, its impact on long-term public health or production conditions is playing along with the easy story. Comecarne fulfills its function: sell more meat.
It’s up to us to read between the lines. Always.
