A tax on red meat: Denmark's proposal

Ethics Council of Denmark proposes a tax on beef.

Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous

Denmark, joy and pain. Although here we live with the paradox of ignoble whaling, it certainly cannot be denied that the Danish country always remains one of the most sustainable and environmentally conscious. The latest proposal by tax red meat of the Council for Ethics, the independent body referred to by parliament, ministers and other public authorities on ethical issues.

Already a research, a few months ago, had tested the ground and found that there are several countries in the world that are thinking of taxing meat, to have the twofold advantage of concretely addressing climate change and improving the health of its citizens.

It seems, in fact, that we are finally realizing that the production of meat as well as being questionable from an ethical point of view is very “heavy” from an environmental point of view. Suffice it to say that almost 15% of all greenhouse gases worldwide are produced by farms and to this must be added the damage resulting from deforestation which serves to create suitable places for grazing, from the production of fertilizers for feed crops and from the energy used by farmers.

In short, Denmark comes forward and makes a logical reasoning: since cattle breeding consumes about 43 liters of water for every kilogram of meat we eat and covers 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Could putting a tax on meat consumption lead to more sustainable behaviors and purchases? The answer is yes, of course, and here is the proposal (the provision was voted on by 14 out of 17 directors) of a tax to be applied initially only to beef.

“An effective response to the climate emergency also includes a policy relating to the consumption of the most polluting foods, which helps to create awareness on the issue. The company needs to send a clear signal through legislation, ”says Mickey Gjerris, a spokesperson for the board.

Well, well done and excellent proposal to be borrowed for sure. But now the question arises: to start (also) with a tax on whale meat, right?

Germana Carillo