Pepsi Apples

April 20, 2015 -- "Dean Mozaffarian," writes pundit Jason Clark, "is a well known nutritionist and Dean of the Friedman School at Tufts. He proposes taxes on unhealthful foods and drink and subsidies on the healthful ones: Should we tax unhealthy foods?"

Jason continues,

Trouble is, I don't think he goes far enough in his analysis. I have no problem with 5 cent apples (though that would require planting a lot more apple trees, which would cut into grain production), but I think 25 cent salmon filets would be detrimental to the environment. Fish is not a sustainable major protein source for 7 billion people, and there are problems with farmed salmon (e.g. dioxin). While salmon is no doubt more healthful than red meat, there is probably contamination, and it is environmentally a non-starter.

Why can't the 'big thinkers' truly consider the big picture? A world of 7 billion needs to subsist on unrefined grain, vegetables, and smaller amounts of fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, etc. Animal products should not be subsidized and should be eaten much less or not at all. Clearly, Mozaffarian feels he needs to appeal to the 'flesh lobby', even if it's fish.

He doesn't answer the question of why apples often cost more than hamburgers in America. Clearly, meat is subsidized, while generating tremendous external costs borne by the environment and healthcare.

We wholeheartedly agree.

Table of Contents