Meat is Slowly But Surely Vanishing from Iranians’ Tables

iran red meat butcher
Written by
Mansoureh Galestan

Meat, once a staple in the Iranian diet, is becoming notably scarce as prices continue to soar. The prohibitive cost of meat has rendered its acquisition a distant aspiration for many households across Iran. Various governmental statistical bodies have sounded the alarm, indicating a genuine threat of meat being entirely excluded from the dining tables of Iranians.

Inflation, entrenched within the realm of commodities such as housing, gold, foreign currency, and automobiles under the sway of Iran’s ruling elite, is an acknowledged and unambiguous circumstance requiring no elucidation. While initially categorized as opulent or secondary essentials in urban living, these items encompass fundamental and indispensable dietary components, transcending mere superfluities.

The persistent escalation of prices concerning indispensable foodstuffs within recent years is a self-evident phenomenon palpably impacting society. Amidst this trajectory, certain items have witnessed a pronounced and escalating surge in cost, exerting direct ramifications on the physical and psychological well-being of the populace.

This substantial spike in prices is notably perplexing despite Iran’s absence from warlike conditions or a state of famine. Among the critical foodstuffs affected, red meat stands out prominently. Its price has surged to exorbitant levels, situating it beyond the means of a significant portion of the populace, with no signs of abatement.

Statistical analyses conducted by pertinent authorities in Iran over the last five years reveal an unprecedented 300% increase in the price of meat. Particularly striking is the surge observed within the past year, registering a staggering 140% increment, a revelation recently made by Iran’s Statistical Center.

This escalating trend is characterized by mutton prices, which exhibited a nearly 150% growth between August 2022 and August 2023. In quantifiable terms, this amounts to a 2.5-fold surge in its price. In tandem, veal, beef, and canned fish experienced notable escalations of 128%, 108%, and 108%, respectively, during the same period.

The recent and astonishing surge in the prices of protein-rich commodities in Iran has positioned the country among the worst globally in terms of food price inflation, as per statistics from the World Bank. The World Bank reported an average of 80% price growth for food items during the spring and early summer of the current year.

Watch and judge how the regime's systemic #hypocrisy is costing #Iranians their bread and butter pic.twitter.com/jmX0zX1vO4

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 15, 2023

Notably, the surge in meat prices has been one of the most prominent increases, to the extent that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a branch of the United Nations, declared in June that the consumption of meat and dairy had considerably decreased among Iranian households.

Earlier, in July, Mansour Puryan, the head of Iran’s Livestock Procurement Council, reported a 50% reduction in the meat consumption of Iranian households within just one year up to that point.

This happened as Iran’s Statistical Center showed a per capita reduction in meat consumption among Iranian households from 13 kilograms to 8 kilograms between the years 2011 and 2019.

Comparing the statistical data from Iran’s Statistical Center and Puryan’s statements clearly shows the acceleration of the inflation rate for meat over the past two years and its alarming trajectory.

Drastic Increase in Prices Has Severely Reduced Food Consumption in #Iran
The increase in milk and meat prices has led to a decrease in per capita consumption of these essential needs.https://t.co/1Vsgnn2FDf pic.twitter.com/2AigloNo06

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) July 2, 2019

Continuing with statements from key figures in this domain, in May 2023, Masoud Rasouli, the secretary of the Meat and Protein Packaging Industry Association, stated that the per capita meat consumption of Iranian citizens had fallen to just 3 kilograms in 2023.

The term “per capita” refers to the division of the total meat consumed in a country during the year by the total number of citizens, resulting in a very small figure of approximately 8.2 grams of meat per day per citizen.

Certainly, the affluent segments of society consume the highest quantities of protein, while lower-income segments may struggle for months to afford the minimum requirement of meat, unquestionably lacking the means to secure the daily 8.2 grams of meat per family member.

The escalating food prices, coupled with existing socio-economic challenges and historical oppression, are a powder keg for increased unrest. The glaring inequality, particularly in accessing essential livelihoods, fuels frustrations. These economic disparities, when combined with broader societal issues, create a volatile environment ripe for civil discontent and protests.