Cutting meat, cutting emissions: Exploring a future strategy to governmental influence on consumer behavior by means of a ‘meat tax’ in the Netherlands

Abstract

The global demand for meat and dairy is historically steep and expected to continue growing over the next decades. This comes at a high price: intensive livestock farming does not only require a great input of energy, water and land, but also causes massive greenhouse gas emissions and other ecological externalities. Policymakers seem so far however reluctant to take radical action aimed at lessening the industry’s negative impacts, e.g. by promoting a plant-based diet.

This hesitance is perceived as a major omission given the current need to mitigate climate change worldwide. This thesis offers a novel insight to the issue by focusing on a recently proposed intervention, namely a ‘meat tax’ (i.e. an excise tax on animal products to be paid by consumers) in the Dutch context. The research aims at exploring both the policy design of such a measure as well as a potential political pathway leading up to its implementation. Thereby, other policy instruments as well as the wider governance context are also being considered.

In terms of methodology, the thesis includes a literature review on policy instruments addressing consumer behavior, an analysis of the historical case of tobacco control as well as empirical data collection in the form of interviews with relevant stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, representatives of the industry, and NGOs). In order to identify the various interviewees’ perspectives, the 17 sessions included visioning and back-casting exercises.

Throughout the research it became apparent that addressing citizens’ awareness and consumption patterns with regards to meat and dairy intake can best be done through a policy mix, involving financial incentives (such as a ‘meat tax’ and/or subsidies), but certainly also communication-based and educational measures as well as nudges. Establishing a clear link between one’s diet, personal health and the environment seems to be key. In any case, production must be tackled at the same time in order to avoid maintaining the same level and intensity of livestock farming at higher export rates.

As most stakeholders expressed their desire for (highly) plant-based diets as well as a more sustainable and small-scale agricultural system in the future Netherlands, there is potential for common ground – and a strong role to be played by government in initiating and supporting the envisioned transformation and addressing identified barriers. Lastly, this research makes clear that a ‘meat tax’ can only be a tool as opposed to an end to itself in contributing to sustainable development.