Chicken consumption in France has more than doubled over the last 20 years, now exceeding the consumption of beef [1].
This shift in dietary habits has evolved into a political flashpoint. The rise of poultry is currently fueling a debate within the French left regarding food policy and dietary trends, which Fourquet said was a “bataille à gauche sur fond de volaille” [1].
Speaking on Le Figaro TV’s program "La France de Fourquet," political scientist Jérôme Fourquet detailed the scale of the trend in an episode titled "Master Poulet" [1]. He said the quantity of chicken consumed in France increased by 113% [1]. This growth has pushed chicken past beef in popularity and, as of 2025, past pork [1].
The trend is particularly visible in the commercial food sector. According to Fourquet, chicken is now featured in more than one-third of all meals eaten outside the home, including those consumed at restaurants, and fast-food outlets [1].
Fourquet said that the data reflects a broader transition in the French diet over the period spanning roughly 2004 to 2024 [1]. The rapid ascent of poultry has displaced traditional staples that once dominated the national palate—specifically beef and pork—while aligning with the growth of the fast-food industry [1].
"La quantité de poulet consommée en France a plus que doublé (+113 %) en 20 ans, dépassant désormais le bœuf et même, depuis 2025, le porc," Fourquet said [1].
“Chicken consumption in France has more than doubled over the last 20 years”
The transition from red meat to poultry in France reflects both a shift in consumer preference and the expanding influence of fast-food infrastructure. Because this trend is now being framed as a political conflict on the left, food consumption data is moving beyond health and economics to become a proxy for broader cultural and ideological disputes over the French way of life.
