Investigation uncovers bias in Dutch government’s rejection of Meat Tax

NETHERLANDS – In 2021, the Dutch government’s decision not to impose a tax on meat products was influenced by a biased and poorly conducted report, a recent investigation has revealed. 

The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality, and carried out by Ernst & Young (EY), had labeled the proposed tax as “unfeasible.” 

However, this conclusion was heavily skewed, according to findings from an investigation by the media outlet Follow the Money (FTM).

The origins of the report trace back to a 2020 petition that garnered over 50,000 signatures from Dutch citizens advocating for a meat tax. 

The proposed tax included a per-kilo levy of €2 (US$2.19) on chicken, €4.50 (US$4.93) on pork, and €5.70 (US$ 6.25) on beef. 

Proponents argued that such a tax would reduce meat consumption, thereby cutting greenhouse gas emissions. 

Despite the growing public support, government officials raised concerns that implementing such a tax would complicate regulations for businesses and place additional strain on the Tax and Customs Administration. 

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality commissioned EY to conduct an independent review of the tax’s feasibility. 

EY’s final report, which concluded that a carbon tax on meat was too complex to implement, aligned with the government’s reservations and led to the rejection of the proposed tax.

The investigation by FTM, based on documents obtained through the Netherlands’ Open Government Act, found that the Ministry had framed its research request to EY in a manner that almost guaranteed the outcome in advance. 

Experts and some government officials criticized the report’s findings. 

One civil servant noted that the report exaggerated the challenges of implementing the tax, stating that it unjustly dismissed the idea as “almost impossible” rather than acknowledging the possibility of overcoming the hurdles with time.

The findings highlight the influence of the strong Dutch meat industry, which generated approximately US$11.53 billion in revenue in 2024 and is projected to grow annually by 4.4% through 2029. 

In 2021, the Netherlands produced around 3.5 million metric tons of meat, with pork accounting for more than half of the total production. T

The country’s meat industry is so robust that it produced nearly 260% more meat than was consumed domestically.

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