News Meat levy
Broad criticism of meat tax, also from government parties
Henk Staghouwer, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, announced yesterday (Tuesday 29 March) that he would investigate the effects of the introduction of a meat tax on meat consumption. This is part of a larger plan to consumption of animal proteins such as meat, dairy and eggs. The plans have been criticized from various quarters, including government parties VVD and CDA. The Central Organization for the Meat Sector (COV) is also irritated about the 'another attempt to get a counterproductive and unfeasible plan' on the agenda.
In a letter to Parliament, Staghouwer announced that it was one of the spearheads of the food policy of the new cabinet is to bring the consumption of animal and vegetable proteins from the current 60/40 ratio to a ratio of 50/50. According to the minister, this ratio is more in line with the Nutrition Center's Wheel of Five, which takes both health and sustainability into account.
RIVM: Over 60% animal protein consumption
According to a study by the RIVM in the years 2012 to 2016, about 60% of the total protein consumption was animal. Of this 60%, meat provides about half of the animal protein.
The minister indicated that, in addition to initiatives subsidized by the government, such as the Nutrition center and the program Young Learning to Eat, there are also possibilities to provide consumers with sustainable incentives via 'price signals'. In that context, the minister now wants to find out how a levy on meat (whereby the levies paid are returned to the sector) influences consumption and how a sound measure can be implemented.
No House Majority
Staghouwer's letter to parliament is a response to the evaluation of the food agenda in The Hague that was drawn up in 2015 by the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Public Health, Welfare and Sport. Although this is a government response, members of parliament from the governing parties VVD and CDA are also critical of the plans. For example, Thom van Campen, the agricultural spokesman for the VVD, says via Twitter that his party wants to see an 'investigation into other possible options'. According to him, the VVD cannot support a one-sided path towards a meat tax, which is now being taken. Van Campen states that food must remain affordable for everyone.
CDA agricultural spokesman Derk Boswijk expresses himself in similar terms and also points out the importance of keeping food affordable. Boswijk would rather see more efforts being made to raise awareness and encourage sustainable behavior among consumers and to make fruit and vegetables cheaper, as was also agreed in the coalition agreement. The ruling party D66 is more enthusiastic about the plans. Tjeerd de Groot says via twitter that he thinks the plan to investigate a meat tax is a good idea because 'eating less meat saves the climate and nature'.
There is also criticism from the opposition. Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging believes that the minister is completely detached from society by investigating an idea 'at a time when the prices for food, energy and petrol are going through the roof and people can no longer pay their bills'. tax on meat. According to the NOS, opposition parties PVV, SP, JA21 and Denk are also against a meat tax. A parliamentary majority is therefore not in favor of the plan.
COV calls plan counterproductive
When asked, spokesperson Dé van de Riet of the COV indicates that he does not see anything in the plan. Moreover, it disturbs the spokesperson that meat is repeatedly dismissed as unhealthy. "We have several points of criticism when it comes to a meat tax, but the most important is that it is always suggested that meat is unhealthy. That is not the case. Meat is prominent in the Disc of Five mentioned by the minister for nothing. "It contains important vitamins, minerals and amino acids for humans. It does not mean that we encourage excessive meat consumption, just that it is an important part of a varied and balanced diet."
In addition, Van De Riet sees a meat tax as a counterproductive measure. "We are going to make the prices for an important part of our diet unaffordable for the people with the lowest incomes. Households with higher incomes will not be affected and will not reduce consumption. The measure therefore misses the mark. "It cannot happen that a sector will be made more sustainable with taxes levied, something the minister has in mind. Such processes must be removed from the market and that is what is happening. The Dutch sector is leading the way when it comes to animal welfare and sustainability."
'Umpteenth test balloon meat tax'
Van de Riet indicates that it is already the umpteenth time that a test balloon about the introduction of a meat tax has been released. "In addition to the important substantive objections, various studies have also concluded several times that such a plan is practically unfeasible."
Steve Wissink
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