Comment on Why are vegan and gluten free items more expensive?

Feyd@programming.dev ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

• fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  This is contrary to basic economic principles.

  If a beef burger and vegan burger cost the same to make, but people will pay more for the vegan, that world attract more vegan producers to the market, and more competition would reduce the price.

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  • Feyd@programming.dev ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    That is a very rudimentary understanding of the system that doesn’t always pan out in a particular time frame or due to external factors.

    1. It takes time for that effect to occur
    2. It doesn’t take into account barriers to entry, of which there are many for food
    3. It doesn’t take into account that there are are actually a small number of companies that own the bulk of our food supply chain and it’s in their financial interest to keep prices high for things that are perceived as luxury

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    • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It’s not rudimentary, it’s a complex system reduced to a few sentences.

      1. Vegan patties have been around forever.

      2. There aren’t significantly more barriers to entry for food products than other industries.

      3. Yes vendors want high prices, but that applies to any product, not only vegan products.

      The answer is, as everyone else has pointed out, economies of scale. There’s a larger market with more participants producing more beef burgers than there are vegan patties.

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      • Nollij@sopuli.xyz ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Economies of scale affects the costs to the manufacturer. Competition/demand affect the price to the consumer.

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  • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    “basic economic principles” is handwaving. you’re storytelling, not making a scientific postulate

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    • fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It’s a lemmy comment.

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      • commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        it’s storytelling, not science

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  • weker01@sh.itjust.works ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Yup it is contrary to normal economic principles, read up on luxury goods and in particular veblen goods and how price finding works there.

    In the end humans are not at all times rational. There is no homo economicus. Economics is as much math as it is a social study.

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