Meat tax is not the answer – invest in quality instead

It would be easy for farmers who rear sheep, cows, pigs, or any other animal we eat, to feel like they are under attack in light of several news items reported today.

The graffiti attack on the turkey farm which had promoted its turkeys only to be attacked by militant vegans is easily dismissed – the vast majority of those who choose not to eat meat would never dream of calling carnivores ‘murderers’ for failing to agree with them. Yet the report suggesting that a ‘meat tax’ could prevent 6,000 deaths per year in the UK, and save the economy more than £700million in avoided healthcare costs, is not so easily brushed aside.

Researchers claim that consumption of red meat – beef, lamb and pork – is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

Crucially, they are classed by the World Health Organisation as carcinogenic if they are in ‘processed’ form. The classification of unprocessed meat is less certain – with the WHO only concluding they are ‘probably’ cancer-causing.

The key, it could be argued, is not in the consumption of meat, but in the volume and quality of meat we eat.

To put it more simply, it is reasonable to conclude that you will be better off eating a decent cut of meat than a 1783: The last public hanging in England took place at Tyburn (now Marble Arch in London). 1872: The Marie Celeste, the illfated brigantine, sailed from New York – and was found mysteriously abandoned near the Azores some time later. 1885: A golden spike was driven into the track at Craigellachie in British Columbia to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway after four-and-a-half years’ work.

1917: The Bolshevik Revolution, led by Lenin, overthrew prime minister Alexander Kerensky’s government.

1974: Lord Lucan disappeared, following the murder of his heavily-processed burger.

Likewise, if you eat those processed burgers every night, you are more likely to have health issues than if you have a lamb chop or rump steak once or twice a week.

‘Cheap’ meat which has been heavily processed is, of course, much more likely to lead to health concerns. It does not take a scientific study to come to that conclusion. A similar argument has been had about alcohol – a decent bottle of wine, consumed in moderation, is less likely to do us harm than a litre of maximum strength beer, cider or spirits.

It is highly likely that farmers in the Westcountry are engaged in producing the better quality meat, with higher standards of animal welfare.

Equally, the effects of abstaining from meat altogether – both on our health and the environment – are just as inconclusive.

Investing in better quality meat, from farms with high standards, is the best way of allaying any concerns over the effect of consumption on our health.

Putting a tax on farmers who are producing good quality meat is not the way to encourage people to invest in their food, and in fact may well lead to more people being forced to buy ‘cheap’. Instead, let’s focus on quality, not quantity. children’s nanny and serious assault of his wife. He has never been seen since.

1990: Mary Robinson was elected as the first woman president of the Irish Republic. Dame Gwyneth Jones, soprano, 82 Jean Shrimpton, former model, 76 Joni Mitchell, singer, 75 Su Pollard, actress, 69 Lindsay Duncan, actress, 68 Sharleen Spiteri, singer, 51 Psalm 62:8 – Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

On this day

Thought for the day

Birthdays