A tax on meat could encourage the public to cut back on animal products in their diets, though it wouldn’t be without complications and difficulties.
Remember when the UK government decided to introduce a sugar drinks tax to push consumers toward healthier diets?
It seems a similar tactic could be in the works for meat products, and Beyond Meat boss Ethan Brown is all for it.
Speaking to the BBC, he said that an increase on prices for animal-based foods could help the plant-based protein industry grow, and sway more of the public to make the switch to vegan alternatives.
Brown noted that ‘93% of Beyond Meat consumers’ also buy animal products, which may seem counterintuitive at first, but suggests that mainstream consumers are now attempting to at least reduce their meat consumption behaviours and replace them with plant-based items.
He says that a meat tax could encourage more of us to make that final leap to fully vegan diets.
Though nothing is concrete as of yet – UK prime minister Boris Johnson has ruled it out for the time being – a tax on meat products is exactly as it sounds.
Items such as burgers and sausages made from traditional meats would cost more than alternatives. Added tax currently exists on sugar drinks and recreational items such as cigarettes and alcohol.
A meat tax would be in the interest of vegan alternative companies such as Beyond Meat as it would make their products more financially viable, becoming the cheaper item compared to normal meat. Currently, vegan alternatives generally cost more.
Even without a tax, market research shows that the pricing gap between meat and vegan alternatives is shrinking. The pandemic has caused meat products to rise in price, while companies like Impossible Foods actually reduced their prices by 20% last year.
Perhaps a tax would help to spur the market on quicker, serving as a catalyst for changes that are already well under way.
What are the problems that may arise?
However, critics of a new tax point out that hiking up prices on such an essential and staple food would increase costs of living significantly. This is particularly relevant given we’re living in a time of uncertainty and financial delicacy caused by the pandemic.
For now, the UK government advisory board has made clear that we need to be consuming less traditional meat in order to protect the climate, though it has said it is not prepared to introduce a tax right now.
Keep in mind that the meat industry continues to grow and balloon every year as developing nations increase their wealth and agricultural resources. Countries that have traditionally been heavily into meat products need to cut back to counteract this growth.
Whether or not a tax is an effective way to do this is largely unclear, and a recent study from the University of Bristol seems to indicate that the cost to the economy would outweigh any climate positives.
This highlights problems with the UK’s dependency on agriculture and farming as an economic staple.
If we could find a way to replace traditional farming methods with new-age, climate friendly solutions that didn’t result in a loss for farmers, then a tax would be a more viable solution that doesn’t punish producers.
Ultimately, a tax would cause widespread disruption to well established and societally ingrained production methods.
We’d need a commitment to changing how we produce meat and feed our population from the ground up, rather than simply committing to a surface level solution such as a meat tax.
It is a nice idea in theory – but structural changes are needed for it to work effectively.
I’m Charlie (He/Him), Deputy Editor and Senior Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor full time at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. As a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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