In the early morning of February 24, 2022, the first bombs fell on Kyiv. Thus began the first war of the 21st century in Europe, which has triggered the price of energy and food throughout the continent. One year later, the bombs continue to fall in Ukraine and the domino effect of the conflict impacts more and more on the rest of its European neighbours, including Spain.
Almost 3,000 kilometers from Kyiv, in Barcelona, Lara Galmes has become a tightrope walker in the family economy: “before, I could make a purchase for around 70 euros, now it goes up to 20 euros more”. The family shopping basket can cost more than 21% of what it was worth in January 2022, before the war. The balance of products that include the real baskets of families causes the increase to be even greater than the record 15.7% estimated by the INE average basket last December.
Lara and her husband, Ricard, are the parents of Marina, 10, and Martí, 7. The couple have to juggle to avoid spending half their salary in the supermarket. The adventures to overcome the rise in prices include buying private label products, delaying purchases, throwing out the pantry or buying less meat. "Even this week I tried the Too Good To Go application, which allows you to purchase products from restaurants and supermarkets that are about to expire at a very low cost," explains Lara.
The Galmes family's weekly shopping basket cost 80 euros before the war. Now, if they want to buy the same products with the same amount, they have to spend up to 97 euros, according to an estimate made by La Vanguardia based on the evolution of data from online supermarkets collected by Datamarket.
The amount of their basket has increased by more than 21.5% because they consume a lot of milk and yogurt, the basic products that have become more expensive in the last year. In January 2022, a liter of private label milk cost 65 cents, while now the same product is sold for 97 cents. A kilo of Greek yogurt, also private label, was worth 2 euros; now it costs 2.57 euros. The Galmes family buys up to 6 liters of milk a week and between 18 and 24 yoghurts and other dairy products, more than a basic basket includes.
In addition to the price increase, yogurts are also one of the products most affected by the reduction. It is a technique that food companies use to maximize their benefits: they reduce the amount of product offered in each package without the buyer being able to appreciate it. From the OCU, the Organization of Consumers and Users denounce "that although the amount is legally indicated on the label, it is misleading because the final consumer does not perceive it."
Rice is another of the basic products of the diet that has increased its price the most in the last year: 25% according to Datamarket data and up to 21% according to the INE data of December 2022. Given the forecast of a bad harvest, high costs and rising prices on the world market, the Government decided to add it to the list of products with reduced VAT.
The executive measure implemented in January 2023 aims to alleviate the impact on citizens of the constant rise in prices of the shopping basket. In the vast majority of cases, the application of this measure has managed to stop the sustained increase in prices.
Throwing more of these products with reduced VAT and less of the most expensive ones such as red meat or fish is another way to appease the blow. The price of red meat has risen 23% since the start of the war, according to Datamarket data. A tray of six private label beef burgers cost €6.65 before the war and now sells for more than €8.
"Families are buying much more frozen produce and less fresh meat, fish and vegetables," explains Enrique García from the OCU. Lara Galmés' experience confirms this: "I hardly buy red meat and if I do, I look for places where it is cheaper."
The sustained increase in vegetables has an even greater impact on families. Vegetables, together with fruits, should represent 50% of a balanced diet according to the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN).
That basic and necessary products like these increase in price by more than 12% alters the ability of families to maintain a balanced diet. Both products were included in the reduced VAT list and their price has been reduced in the last month of January.
500 kilometers from Barcelona, in Mungía, a town near Bilbao, the Revilla family also manages to cope with the situation. Aída López and Mikel Revilla, who have just become parents, have chosen to cut back on food and live more from day to day.
"The goal is above all not to throw away food: we try to take advantage of the daily offers in small local stores instead of large surfaces and thus we make sure that we always consume everything we buy", explains Aída López.
For Aída, shopping in small stores like she does now is more difficult living in a city like Bilbao. It is also for this reason, and coinciding with the arrival of the little one, that last September she and Mikel decided to leave the Basque capital and move to Mungía, a town of 17,000 inhabitants.
The Mungía family's shopping basket cost around 50 euros before the war, while now to buy exactly the same thing they need to spend up to 67 euros. The weekly amount of his basket has increased by more than 20.6%, a figure very similar to that of the Galmes family.
The weekly purchase of the Revillas stands out for having a larger quantity of fruit and vegetables than usual: it represents more than 60% of all the products they buy each week. A kilo of private label table oranges cost around 65 cents in January 2022, while now the same amount costs 1.33 euros.
The same happens with dried legumes: before the war a kilo of private label lentils cost 1.65 and a year later 2.29 euros.
Eggs are behind dairy products and oil, another item that has become more expensive. Monitoring of supermarket prices recorded by Datamarket data indicates a rise of 16.9% and INE data raises it above 25%.
Beyond the issue of war, sources in the sector point out that the increase in egg prices is also related to the proliferation of avian flu outbreaks throughout the world, which has made the year difficult for the sector.
Both the weekly purchase of the Galmes family and that of the Revilla family have increased their price by more than 20% in a year of war. On the other hand, an average basket with the distribution of products recommended by AESAN, registers an inflation of around 17%, according to calculations made by La Vanguardia with data from Datamarket.
This ideal basket includes at least 50% fruit and vegetables, 25% animal and vegetable protein and another 25% flour and derivatives. The difference between the inflation of the average baskets and that of the real families also speaks of the distance that separates the ideals recommended from day to day in each family.
