Bread Is Losing Popularity In France

In Paris, the French are seeming to fall out of love with bread, a cultural staple, The New York Times Reports. The average French person consumes half a baguette a day. In 1990, the average was three a day. Women eat about a third less bread than men, and young people consume almost 30 percent less than a decade ago.

The decline in bread consumption has gained nationwide attention. Observatoire du Pain, the bakers' and millers' lobby in France, started a nationwide campaign in June promoting bread, encouraging its role in French civilization and good health. The campaign is modeled after the American advertising campaign "Got Milk?"

The lobby attributes the decline in bread consumption to the populations' changing eating habits. Bernard Valluis, co-president of the lobby, says people are too busy to go to the bakery, and teenagers are skipping breakfast.

The basic baguette in France is one of the country's cheapest foods. At just a bit more than a dollar, ten billion baguettes are sold every year in France.