I know this isn't the Pain Olympics, but when I was looking for a place to live, I toured a single bedroom with access to a half-bath (just a toilet and sink, no shower) in somebody's house that was going for $1200 US, or just shy of £900. The saddest thing is, that's one of the most affordable options around me.

This is a reality in the US. Add in, our meat and dairy is subsidized by the government, but fruit and vegetables don't get the same treatment. Subsidized vegetables here are mainly ones that can be processed for uses that don't include direct consumption, like subsidized corn used to make animal feed, corn syrup, or ethanol. The best case scenario for cheap vegetables usually comes from farm stands, which we have to seek out (and usually drive out of our way to get to), and which only operate during the growing season.

Put this together with housing prices and the destruction of food assistance programs, and it's no wonder why so many people in the US are turning to shoplifting to get their needs met.