As a low-end landlord I can tell you one reason. All those EBT cards and government giveaways for food are used to purchase premium meat for resale at cents on the dollar. This is how the receivers of government largess get the money for cigarettes, beer, drugs and lotto tickets. I had a renter who told me she’d had no solid food for six months, just beer. Her refrigerator had two giant stacks of steaks and one stack of beer cases. When she moved out in the summer without telling me, just ahead of the cops, she took the beer and left the meat. With the power off. In the summer.
There you go....that puts a whole bunch of stuff in perspective. If you're wondering why things are so fouled up at the grocery store well, there it is.