The answer to expensive food is to eat cheaper food. You can easily eat on $2 per day. Those of us who grew up in poor countries know this.

Even in rich countries, it was not long ago (like, in living memory) that meat was a specialty only afforded occasionally.

One of the things about principaled stances is they are a lot more powerful when adhereing to the principal is inconvenient.

My guess is there are always people stealing. They will use whatever post-hoc justification. If it wasnt the prices it would be corporations, or big-agri, or some provincial law.