Urgent: Soaring Food Prices in Canary Islands Reveal Economic Inequality Crisis
By A. Ramirez for the Canary Islands-semanal.org.
In a stark reflection of the economic times, a simple walk through the aisles of a supermarket in the Canary Islands in 2025 has become a grim exercise in budgeting for the working majority. The shelves are stocked, yet the prices are sky-high, making everyday necessities a luxury for those on stagnant salaries.
Inflation’s Hidden Impact
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) may show a “moderate” increase of 1.8% in non-alcoholic beverages and food over the past year, but the reality on the ground is far harsher. Basic items like eggs (+16%), coffee and cocoa (+14%), and fresh fruits (+12.6%) have seen devastating price hikes, putting a severe strain on lower-income households.
Inflation, often presented as a neutral statistical reality, is exposing a deeper truth: it’s the working classes that bear the brunt of an economic system that transfers costs to consumers while benefiting large distributors and intermediaries.
The Fruit Dilemma
The situation in the islands has reached absurd levels. Locally grown bananas in Lanzarote are priced at €4.85 per kilo, and avocados at €7.46. This contradiction highlights an economic anomaly: the Canary Islands produce these foods, yet their prices are unaffordable for both farmers and minimum-wage earners.
This distortion is due to a production chain driven by private profit, where exchange value outstrips use value. High transportation costs, reduced cultivated areas, intermediary margins, and retail price speculation have turned local produce into luxury items.
Agrarian Crisis and Food Sovereignty
Between 2014 and 2024, the Canary Islands lost 1,500 hectares of potato cultivation, a 30% reduction that signals a deeper crisis. Traditional agriculture, burdened by high production costs, becomes unsustainable when farmers receive prices below their real costs.
The proposed minimum price for potatoes at €1.05/kg is a step in the right direction, but it’s merely a patch for a system that marginalizes small producers and prioritizes market value over societal needs.
Who Benefits?
The key question remains: who benefits from these price hikes? Farmers and supermarket workers see no wage improvements, while large distributors maintain their profit margins. The Food Chain Law, aimed at preventing loss-selling, is often breached due to lack of inspection and budgetary constraints.
The Island Economy: Subsidies vs. Inequality
The Canary Islands, an ultraperipheral region, face higher transportation and storage costs. Yet, substantial state and European compensations (over €100 million annually) rarely translate into lower prices, often benefiting those controlling logistics and distribution.
The apparent stability of the CPI, which fell to 1.5% in May 2025, masks internal inequality. Thousands of families must choose between buying fruit and paying for gas, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change.
Reforming for Transformation
The president of the Market Our Lady of Africa sums it up: “Salaries are maintained, and that is the problem.” This aligns with Marxist analysis: prices rise, but wages don’t, making essential goods unaffordable for those who need them most.
Measures like price transparency and effective laws against loss-selling are necessary, but structural change requires democratic planning of food production based on societal needs, not private profit.
The Broader Picture
The purchase basket in the Canary Islands reflects not just inflation but the broader economic contradictions. Prioritizing tourism and consumption over internal production has led to a loss of food sovereignty, with market laws dictating access to essential goods.
Ultimately, the debate is about more than banana or coffee prices. It’s about the right to feed without impoverishing, the dignity of those who work the land, and the possibility of building an economy that serves life, not just profit.
Stay tuned to archyde.com for more updates on this developing story and insights into the economic landscape of the Canary Islands.
