December 10, 2025, 5:38 am | Read time: 4 minutes
If you’re going to eat bread, then make it whole grain—that’s the mindset of an increasing number of health-conscious eaters. Whole-grain bread contains significantly more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than breads made from simple wheat flour. Even in France, the land of the baguette, a noticeable shift in bread consumption is emerging. TRAVELBOOK has taken a closer look at how much the consumption of the famous loaf—which has been an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage since 2022—has declined in the “Grande Nation,” the factors responsible for this, and why it might be challenging to preserve this cultural asset in its classic form.
Many Germans are often unaware of how high baguette consumption in France actually was. As CNN explains, the long, white bread was once a staple at each of the three daily meals: in the morning as open “tartines” with butter and jam or chocolate-hazelnut spread, at lunch as a sandwich, and in the evening as an obligatory accompaniment to traditional, sauce-rich stews. The image of morning trips to the bakery to buy a fresh baguette, often accompanied by sweet pastries like brioche or croissants, was once commonplace in France. Today, it is not. Dominique Anract, president of the national association of artisanal bakers and pastry chefs in France (CNBPF), tells CNN that the younger generation has not continued this tradition. “We see that these young people enjoy a traditional baguette on weekends when they visit their parents,” he says. It is appreciated, but it is no longer a classic staple food.
Why Baguette Consumption in France Has Declined
According to surveys by the CNBPF, more than a third of the French population has reduced their overall bread consumption. Statistics also show that baguette consumption in France has been declining for decades. The trade journal “Les Nouvelles de la Boulangerie-Pâtisserie” cites figures from the Observatoire du Pain, a recognized French reference institution. According to these figures, the average consumption of bread per person per day fell from around 140 grams in the 2000s to just over 100 grams by the mid-2010s.
Various factors have contributed to this development. These include an increased awareness of healthy eating as well as food waste. According to a study by the environmental organization Too Good To Go, six out of ten people who buy baguettes regularly throw away hardened parts of the white bread. As a result, more consumers are turning to longer-lasting types of bread.
Changing Eating Habits Displace the Baguette
In line with these changing trends, there is a rise of so-called “neo-bakers.” These are new businesses that focus on alternative types of bread, such as sourdough breads, which have also been very popular in Germany for some time, as well as whole-grain baked goods. These breads are not only longer-lasting but also have a more wholesome image. Sourdough, for example, is considered easier to digest and a valuable source of nutrients, which, due to its gentler impact on blood sugar levels, is also said to keep you full longer.
Additionally, young people today eat out more often, explains Dominique Anract. Fast food has replaced home cooking and thus also a part of the baguette tradition.
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Economic Pressure on Bakeries Intensifies the Problem
Economic pressure on artisanal bakery businesses exacerbates the baguette crisis. In January 2023, hundreds of bakers in Paris drew attention to this with demonstrations. Many of them carried aprons and baguettes in hand, others only signs with their message. They pointed to the recognition of the national bread as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. The cultural asset is to be protected, but the people who produce it face enormous challenges—including rising energy and raw material prices, high operating costs, and competition from industrial mass production.
Ways to Address the Baguette Crisis
At the same time, the highlighted conflicts reveal ways to address the changing demands and thus the “baguette crisis.” Foremost is the apparent need to support artisanal businesses. Additionally, the initiative Too Good To Go suggests, for example, baking the baguette—traditionally 65 centimeters long—smaller to avoid wasting hardened parts. The approaches of neo-bakeries could also be seen as meaningful impulses, such as making baguettes with whole-grain flour and sourdough to appeal to health-conscious consumers.
However, it must also be said: The supposed solutions may extend the viability of the baguette in everyday life, and perhaps they can secure the art of baking in general. However, they may also involve a change in the product. Because it is also clear: A sourdough baguette is not a classic baguette. A balance must be found between tradition and modernity if the cultural asset of the baguette is to survive. How this might look remains unclear for the time being.