Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Carbon pricing of food in Australia: an analysis of the health, environmental and public finance impacts

Marco Springmann, Gary Sacks, Jaithri Ananthapavan, Peter Scarborough

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health · 2018

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Summary

This Australian policy modelling study integrated greenhouse gas emissions pricing into food commodity prices and assessed downstream health, environmental and fiscal consequences. Using a coupled framework linking economic, environmental and health data, the authors found that a carbon price of AUD $23 per tonne CO2-equivalent could avoid 49,500 DALYs whilst reducing food-related emissions by 6% and generating AUD $866 million in public revenue. The work demonstrates that climate pricing policies on food can align with public health objectives to reduce diet-related disease burden.

UK applicability

The findings are potentially relevant to UK policy-making on carbon pricing and food systems, though the analysis is country-specific to Australian food consumption patterns, supply chains and disease burden. A similar modelling approach could be adapted to UK conditions to evaluate health-climate trade-offs of food carbon pricing, particularly as the UK develops its climate commitments.

Key measures

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) avoided; food-related greenhouse gas emissions (MtCO2-eq); tax revenues (AUD millions); changes in dietary consumption patterns

Outcomes reported

The study modelled the health, environmental and public finance impacts of incorporating greenhouse gas emissions pricing into food commodity prices. It measured diet-related disease burden (DALYs avoided), food-related emissions reductions, and tax revenues generated.

Theme
Policy, governance & rights
Subject
Food & agricultural policy
Study type
Research
Study design
Policy modelling study using coupled economic, environmental and health frameworks
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Australia
System type
Food supply chain
DOI
10.1111/1753-6405.12830
Catalogue ID
BFmovi2bj3-wke6t0

Topic tags

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