A shift in food taxes could cut emissions and make diets healthier, researchers say

Published connected 24/10/2025 - 14:00 GMT+2 •Updated 14:14

Food accumulation tin person a ample effect connected nan climate. And definite foods tin person much of an effect than others.

A caller study, published successful Ecological Economics, looked astatine really introducing a taxation connected foods that return a larger toll connected nan situation could thief curb nan ambiance effect of nutrient production.

Food’s wellness and ambiance impact

Not each foods affect nan environmentequally. In nan EU, agriculture accountsfor astir 11 per cent of full greenhouse state emissions. The nutrient and dairy industries are major contributors.

A caller study published by nan EAT-Lancet Commissionfound that worldwide, 15 cardinal deaths could beryllium avoided each twelvemonth if group displacement to predominantly plant-based diets. Such a displacement could besides alteration cultivation emissions by 15 per cent.

This caller study builds connected their findings, looking astatine nan effects of imposing levies connected definite foods that person large ambiance impacts.

“Today’s diets are making america sick and negatively impacting nan climate,” says study co-author Jörgen Larsson, interrogator astatine Chalmers University of Technology. “If we want to do thing astir this collectively, taxes and subsidies are a bully measurement forward.”

Sweden arsenic a lawsuit study

The caller study looked specifically astatine Sweden, wherever nan antagonistic effect connected nan ambiance from nutrient depletion is astir doubly that of nan nonstop emissions from each rider car traffic, according to nan study.

Researchers looked astatine nan imaginable effects of what they telephone a “food taxation shift” – wherever value-added taxation aliases VAT is removed fromhealthy foods to promote acquisition and taxes are added for much climate-intensive foods. It focused connected 4 nutrient groups: fruits, vegetables, and legumes; full atom products; beef, lamb, pork, and processed meat; and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Price changes person already been shown to impact user behaviour successful Sweden. In nan 1990s,beef depletion accrued by 50 per cent because nan value astir halved.

Reduced depletion and ambiance impact

In nan existent study, nan top quality would beryllium successful nan prices of beef andlamb. The taxation changes would origin an summation of 25 per cent, aliases almost €3 per kilo. Researchers opportunity this could trim meat consumption successful nan state by 19 per cent.

They besides recovered that nan nutrient taxation displacement would person some biology and quality wellness benefits. Such betterment could trim nan ambiance footprint of Swedes’ food consumption by an balanced of astir 700,000 tonnes of c dioxide per year. That is nan aforesaid arsenic an 8 per cent simplification successful emissions from rider cars aliases astir 1 successful 10 cars disappearing from Sweden’s roads.

The authors spot this “food taxation shift” arsenic an perfect measurement forward, particularly because it is “cost neutral”. Making immoderate foods much costly and others cheaper tin thief pinch nationalist acceptance.

“Not everyone needs to go vegetarian for nan liking of nan climate, but pinch much mean consumption, a batch stands to beryllium gained,” says Larsson.