The Economics Of A Meat Tax

May 3, 2017 in Daily Bulletin

Mike Pearl considered a tax on meat:

  • Meat causes health problems and according to the WHO can be a level 1 carcinogen – just like tobacco.
  • The farm animals that become meat contribute to global warming – in 2009 they were responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • And meat is helping make bacteria more resistant to drugs, leading to the emergence of “super-bugs” that conventional medicines are unable to treat.
  • A tax on meat would reduce people’s consumption thus mitigating these consequences.
  • They would also raise revenue that governments can use to fight the problems.
  • Unfortunately taxes on food are regressive – they affect the poor more than the rich – since the poor spend a greater proportion of their income on food.

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