‘Meat tax“ is becoming an increasingly concrete proposal in the context of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The thought of "meat tribute" is no longer just an abstract concept, and recently, thanks to the Dutch, it has become the subject of intense public debates. The technological Climate Council, liable for drafting recommendations on climate policy for the Dutch Government, recommends introducing a meat tax. In this context, scientists point out that the aim is not only to make income for the budget or financial considerations, but above all to discourage the Dutch from eating meat.
Jan Willem Erisman, president of the technological Council on Climate Affairs, argues that a meat taxation should be introduced as a "fair price for environmental products". Dutch scientists presented the Climate Plan to the government for the period 2025-2035, in which they presented strategies aimed at achieving climate neutrality of the country. As part of these plans, researchers encourage the promotion of food transition, the implementation of the closed-loop economy and the transition to renewable energy sources. This broad approach aims not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but besides to contribute to changing eating habits and production patterns, promoting a more sustainable and greener model of society.
Meat tax. How much do we pay for meat?
Ecologists have long argued that the current prices of many goods and services do not reflect actual costs due to the fact that they do not take into account environmental costs. Meat production, like dairy, is 1 specified case. In short, according to them, we pay much little for meat. An organisation has even been created that tries to brutally make consumers aware that meat prices do not reflect its actual costs and should be importantly higher. We are talking about TAPP (True Animal Protein Price), which has been seeking to introduce a taxation on animal husbandry for years. Their aim is not only to increase the price of meat for consumers, but besides to usage the proceeds of this taxation to support energy transition or another green initiatives.
However, to avoid possible social discontent, the proposal to introduce a fresh meat taxation at first would be comparatively mild. TAPP suggests that the fresh taxation could initially rise the beef price by about 2 gold per kilogram (which represents little than 50 cents) and even little for pork, by about 1.5 gold per kilo. This strategy aims at gradually adapting meat prices to its actual costs, thus minimising the possible price shock for consumers.
The Dutch are going to taxation the meat. Germany tends to do the same
In various countries, not only in the Netherlands, there are concrete proposals to introduce an additional ecological taxation on meat. These initiatives correspond to the EU’s “From Field to Table” strategy, which aims at importantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and farming. German politicians and environmental activists, following this strategy, not only propose meat taxation, but extend their ideas to support sustainable plant production through taxation breaks for environmentally friendly crops.
But that's not all. any Poles, outraged by the anticipation of expanding the prices of their favourite meat dishes, may be amazed that most Germans, Dutch or French would be ready to accept additional meat tax at a level of 10 cents, for example, if it would contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions or improving the surviving conditions of livestock. This is the amount that is crucial here, due to the fact that there are suggestions that taxation increases could consequence in even a fewer 100 percent increase in prices. Can it be imagined that European consumers will pay €80-100 per kilo of beef in the future? This is simply a question that puts the issue of whether society will be ready to accept a crucial increase in meat prices due to environmental objectives and animal welfare.
No more eating regular meat. From now on, you'll gotta eat insects.
The thought of taxing meat as a way to reduce its consumption is 1 of the concepts designed to reduce the consumption of this product. Apparently, the thought of replacing conventional meats with fresh sources of protein, specified as insects, is changing.
Insect consumption as an alternate to conventional meat is no longer abstract. In Europe and around the world, insect breeding is developed to usage proteins derived from these creatures as part of the human diet.
Even in 2021, the consumption of powdered flour mill larvae and frozen, dried and powdered locusts in the category ‘new food’ was approved in the European Union. In addition, ingredients specified as shellac (E904) obtained from plushflowers or cochineal (E121 and E120) produced from cactus reds are utilized to preserve and dye various food products.
Recently, Spanish media have been reporting on the construction of a large farm in Salamanca, which will grow a mill meal, or insect for consumption. It is planned that this farm will employment 250 people and will produce as many as 100,000 tons of insects per year. It is an investment made by the Spanish biotechnology company Tebrio.
But what kind of insect is this? The miller's flour is the same insect that sometimes happens accidentally in moist stores of flour or grain products and is usually rejected or even aroused by us. However, he seems to be the basis for a comparatively easy production of insect protein that can be utilized as an ingredient in our diet.
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Meat tax. Another country in Europe intends to introduce it from 2025:
