Food Tax

I've been thinking over the years, and the idea of a food tax seems better and better to me. Now, I do not think a flat food tax is a good idea, but there are two specific situations in which I think a food tax would serve the greater good.

1) Unhealthy Food Tax (especially for countries with socialized medicine). This tax can be calculated on the amount of sodium, saturated fats, and other unhealthy substances over a certain ratio in prepared foods. This would serve two purposes. Firstly, it discourages people from purchasing unhealthy foods for themselves and provides an incentive for companies to look for ways to make their foods healthier, hopefully increasing the quality of food that is available and consumed. Secondly, especially in countries with socialized medicine, this income can be used to bolster their health care systems. Think of it as a user fee. If you are eating more unhealthy foods, you are paying a fee for the future use of medical services you will be more likely to need later on. What's interesting about this idea is that it can be spun as both a left or right wing idea. On one hand, it is more tax and provides more power to the government to care for its citizens. On the other hand, it is a user-fee system where your pay for what you are likely to use in the future.

2) Calorie Tax. There can be a flat tax per calorie in all food items sold, with the tax proceeds going towards providing (food) aid to communities and other countries in need. There are two advantages to this tax. Firstly, it discourages people from overeating or wasting food. Secondly, it provides a large amount of income for third-world aid and development programs. It is like sharing your food with the less fortunate. Of course, there are numerous disadvantages to this, such as making it even harder for the poor to feed themselves. However, there are ways around this such as providing a flat tax rebate each year using the recommended amount of calories per person as set by a nutritionist. If the tax is high enough, this also means that everyone will be able to feed themselves as they will get enough money through the tax rebate to cover all of their basic food needs.

In my opinion, governments of the world should cover the basic human needs for the members of the communities they represent. Food is a basic human need that the government should provide assistance when required and implement policies to prevent its misuse and waste. These are only two ideas which can be very effective weapons when combined, along with other ideas, against hunger, malnutrition, and unhealthy diets.