Summary
This narrative review examines the case for taxing meat consumption as a second-best policy instrument to address multiple environmental externalities and public health costs associated with livestock production. Drawing on public, behavioural, and welfare economics, the authors assess evidence on meat's true social costs and find that meat is significantly underpriced. The review synthesises findings across environmental impacts, alternative protein technologies, human health effects, animal welfare, and distributional equity considerations, concluding with recommendations for future research on economically efficient meat taxation.
UK applicability
The review's analysis of meat taxation rationales and environmental externalities is directly relevant to UK policy discussions, particularly as the UK develops post-Brexit agricultural and food policy. However, applicability of specific tax rate recommendations would require contextualisation to UK consumption patterns, production systems, and policy constraints.
Key measures
Environmental social costs of meat consumption; economic externalities related to climate change, nitrogen cycles, and biodiversity; health and distributional effects of meat taxation
Outcomes reported
The study reviewed empirical evidence on the social costs of meat production and consumption, presenting preliminary estimates of environmental externalities. It examined the rationales for implementing consumption taxes on meat in high-income countries and identified directions for future research on optimal meat taxation.
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