Meat tax could help cut emissions?

By: Trademagazin Date: 2022. 08. 23. 14:24

An environmental tax on retail meat products could help lower greenhouse gas emissions in high-income countries, but it would have to be significant to have an impact, according to University of Oxford researchers.

The average retail price would have to increase by 35% to 56% for beef, 25% for poultry and 19% for lamb and pork to reflect the environmental costs to produce them, the researchers said in a Fast Company op-ed.

As major countries aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030, meat offers a prime opportunity to make progress toward the goal. The global livestock industry is responsible for 14.5% of manmade emissions and the second-largest share of methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Taxing meat as a way to curb emissions has been floated by some European countries, but as food inflation rages, gaining support for such efforts could get strong pushback from consumers and producers.

Fooddive