A staggering 70 percent of Europeans support a meat tax, according to a new study.

German, French, and Dutch consumers also favor a 0 percent VAT rate on fruits and vegetables.

Animal welfare improvements

The data comes from a survey commissioned by TAPP Coalition and Four Paws. It found the majority of consumers agreed with a meat tax. But, only if the revenues will reduce taxes on vegetables and fruit, support farmers on sustainability and animal welfare improvements, and compensate low income groups

80 percent of the German, 63 percent of the Dutch and 67 percent of the French participants said they were willing to pay a tax of at least 10 Eurocents per 100g of meat.

‘A political reality’

Jeroom Remmers is the director of the TAPP Coalition. In an online statement he said: “The consumer survey shows a political reality.

“A majority of West European consumers expect their political leaders to tax meat products to use revenues to reduce VAT taxes on vegetables, fruits and meat alternatives and pay farmers to increase animal welfare and green standards.

“We expect EU Ministers to start the legislation at national and the EU levels. They can reduce GHG-emissions and biodiversity loss from food, while protecting EU farmers, improving public health and reducing health care costs for consumers.”

Meat tax

Last year, the UK government was urged to tax meat and dairy to ‘lessen the economic fallout after COVID-19’.

Vegan charity PETA has written to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak suggesting the revenue could be used to ease the burden on the NHS. The organzation also says it could help farmers transition away from meat and dairy to more climate-friendly arable ventures.

Moreover, the letter says meat and dairy should ‘take their place alongside tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and fuel. All of which are taxed because of their negative impact on human health or the environment’.

It adds: “This would lighten the burden on the already overstretched NHS. Modeling predicts that a UK tax on red and processed meats could result in 22 percent fewer deaths and save the health service £700 million a year.”