France's consumption of bread declines

The average Frenchman eats only half a baguette a day, compared with almost a whole baguette in 1970 and more than three in 1900, statistics indicate. Women eat about a third less bread than men, and young people almost 30 percent less than a decade ago, The New York Times said. The decline and change in eating habits have led Observatoire du Pain, the bakers' lobby, to start a national campaign in June to promote bread as good for health, conversation and French civilization. "Remember that buying fresh bread on the way home is a simple way of showing loved ones that you have thought about them," the campaign's website states. Baguettes are one of the country's cheapest food staples at just over a dollar a loaf, and 10 billion are sold ever year in France, the Times said. A national bread festival is still held every May, and Paris holds an annual content to select the best baguette maker. But bread is giving up its place on the table to cereal, pasta and rice, the Times said. The country still highest density of independent bakers in the world at 32,000, but in 1950, there were 54,000.