page_title: Pacte de Famine
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Pacte de Famine / History
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Courbe représentant l'évolution du prix du setier de froment au XVIIIe siècle de 1700 à 1788 dans la ville de Paris année par année.
context_page_description: Pacte de Famine was a conspiracy theory adopted by many living in France during the 18th century. The theory held that foods, especially grain, were purposely withheld from them, for the benefit of privileged interest groups. During this period French citizens obtained much of their nourishment from grain.
context_section_description: The famine plot has roots in pre-revolutionary France, while some of its strongest manifestations were evident during the 1760s and 1770s. The collective mentality surrounding this conspiracy served as a tool for French citizens to make sense of the political environment at the time.
  Between 1715 and 1789 the population of France increased by 6 million, from 22 million to 28 million. Population growth and demographic changes during the 18th century help to explain the high demand for food, and lack of food supply at the time. Many faced hunger due to scarcity of food, and found it difficult to fend off illness. At times "bad grain" was blamed for making citizens sick.
caption: Price in livres of a setier (about 117 kg) of wheat in Paris, 1700–88.
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