Summary
This peer-reviewed review examines the economic case for meat taxation as a second-best policy instrument to internalise multiple environmental and health externalities in high-income countries. Drawing on public, behavioural, and welfare economics perspectives, the authors synthesise evidence on climate, nutrient cycle, biodiversity, and diet-related health impacts of livestock production, concluding that current meat prices substantially underestimate true social costs. The paper identifies key research directions for designing optimal meat taxation policies that could simultaneously address environmental degradation and public health whilst considering distributional and animal welfare considerations.
UK applicability
The analysis of high-income country contexts is directly applicable to United Kingdom policy discussions on meat taxation and subsidy reform. However, UK-specific implementation considerations—including interaction with existing agricultural support, regional farming viability, and consumer acceptance—would require tailored national research.
Key measures
Environmental social costs of meat; price externalities; health impacts; distributional effects of taxation; alternative protein technology potential
Outcomes reported
The study reviews empirical evidence on the social costs of meat production and consumption, and presents preliminary estimates demonstrating that meat is significantly underpriced relative to its environmental and health externalities. It examines the rationales and potential effects of consumption-based meat taxation in high-income countries.
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