Is it true that England has some of the cheapest food in the world?

[Xraytime]

I just read this on another thread—if it's true, then why is food poverty so widespread?

Do people in other countries typically spend a higher percentage of their income on food, and is it possible that we in the UK need to adjust our expectations?

Or is it because other essential costs, like rent and bills, are so high in the UK that many people simply don’t have enough left for food?

Maybe they cook from scratch, know which cheaper cuts of meat to buy. This is what people in the UK did back in the 50s/60s/70s before convenience foods.

Agree - basically our economy is slanted to pay farmers too little and landlords too much.

It doesn't feel it! And now gas and electricity going up again, there is no respite

Fruit and veg in the UK is better quality than in France and a lot cheaper.
A cauliflower in France varies between €1.99 and €4.00. And they're mostly grown in Brittany!
French supermarket fresh produce is particularly bad.
British beef is good quality and farmers in the UK have good standards of welfare.
500grms of minced beef is €6.99 for 15%fat in France.

However rurally houses are cheap, wine is very cheap and for a family taxes are based on the whole income which relieves the tax burden.

Landlords get the market rate, it's supply and demand.
The government need to build more homes.

Overinflated property costs. Even people who have cheap or paid off housing are still affected by this when they use services that require premises. Or can't use them because of said costs. We've had a substantial period of policy designed to prop up the property market, QE etc, and here we all are.

The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world for childcare too.

Eggs are temporarily expensive in the US because of a bird flu outbreak. Hopefully prices will go back down soon.

Agree, and part of the cause of this is the cost of property to do it in.

Yes it is

housing and travel costs are higher compared to wages in much of Europe

In some countries I have been to I do not understand how they survive and in the US its baffling the costs of some products (i know many people have two jobs and also rely heavily on credit which is encouraged everywhere) that you would assume would be cheap. As for Australia the costs are eye watering

The uk is really cheap v where I live (Central Europe). Also housing, utilities etc are much more expensive here.

The only thing that’s cheaper is childcare.

This morning:
bread €4.60
1 Lt milk - €1.80
Carrots - €1.50
Apples- €3.50
1 crossiant - €1.80

the local independent shoe shop cheapest pair of kids trainers was €85 when I looked Saturday!

Trades also really really expensive.

The croissant and milk is similar to the UK but the bread is very expensive are you buying a standard supermarket loaf or is that a fresh one?

Because we pay our farmers shit.

I agree we need to build more homes but in the meantime the market rate for properties is too high when compared to income. Therefore the UK economy as a whole is skewed to paying too much to landlords as there is insufficient supply and so the market rate for rent is too high.

Low wage economy - with high costs when it comes to housing, childcare, social care, transport etc but low food prices. Having lived in five different countries - I've never felt as poor as in the UK and thats on a professional salary.

Food transportation costs are also an issue. Where I live is a 4.5/5 hour drive from the nearest city and its warehouses.

Some remote communities don’t have road access and are fly in/out. That cost gets added on to the price of the food. A loaf of basic white bread can be £3.75.

The main problem with living costs in the U.K. is housing. We do not have nearly enough decent, affordable housing. House prices have soared in recent years, and rents have rocketed.
And no government of whatever colour seems capable of doing anything about either.

DH, last time he was based on the UK, had to travel frequently to Europe (mostly Central/Northern) and the US for work.

Inflation was, at the time, higher in Europe, food prices were more expensive and wages were about the same (think that's mostly the case still in the V4, Romania, Croatia etc).

Honestly, people there just live within their means - they don't drive flashy cars on finance, they don't have mortgages bigger than they can afford, they don't buy top of the range designer skin care etc.

Too many people in the UK, and I include myself and DH in that, try push for more than they really should and can afford. For some reason, that mindset is not as prevalent elsewhere in the world (but mainly Central Europe)

they don't have mortgages bigger than they can afford,

Which are often still cheaper than rent....

It's not like we even have a free market for housing and property anyway. Decades of policy to artificially maintain prices. Nobody knows what the actual market rate is!

In singapore groceries are far more expensive than in uk but hawker centre food is cheap-£2 to £2.50 for a filling meal.

Price of eggs has dropped 61% since Trump took office
www.foxbusiness.com/economy/price-eggs-have-dropped-61-since-trump-took-office

Yes, but housing - whether owned or rented - is comparatively expensive - in many areas anyway.

Cheap food comes at a cost

Really? fresh whole aldi chicken £4.69 - 2.5kg bag of potatoes £1.69. carrots 1kg 69p 15 Yorkshire puddings 79p ; A Healthy fresh meal for four at a cost of less than £2 each.