IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-02130816.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Assessing the distributional effects of carbon taxes on food: Inequalities and nutritional insights in France

Author

Listed:
  • France Caillavet

    (ALISS - Alimentation et sciences sociales - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique)

  • Adélaïde Fadhuile

    (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA [2016-2019] - Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019], UGA [2016-2019] - Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019])

  • Veronique Nichèle

    (ALISS - Alimentation et sciences sociales - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique)

Abstract

A carbon tax on food could contribute to emissions mitigation and act as a strong signal to economic actors. However, tax regressivity is a major disadvantage. This study addressed equity issues using several means. First, reallocation proposals in a revenue-neutral approach of several emission-based carbon taxation scenarios at the consumption level of food are included. Second, these proposals' distributional incidence was developed, evaluating the role of carbon pricing in policy impacts. Using a carbon-based approach, differing emission potentials of food groups highlight the relevance of using proteins as a tax base to redirect animal to plant sources in a diet. Thus, a scenario of taxing foods rich in animal proteins and subsidizing those rich in plant proteins was constructed. Scanner data of French households in 2010 were analyzed. Several GHG emission indicators and related nutritional impacts, such as diet quality scores and a shift from animal to plant proteins, were evaluated. Using individual changes in food expenditure, distributional effects based on continuous distribution and inequality indexes were measured, allowing for a discussion of policy options of a targeted vs. nontargeted tax and a revenue-neutral approach in the food sector.

Suggested Citation

  • France Caillavet & Adélaïde Fadhuile & Veronique Nichèle, 2019. "Assessing the distributional effects of carbon taxes on food: Inequalities and nutritional insights in France," Post-Print hal-02130816, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02130816
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.04.020
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-02130816
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-02130816/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.04.020?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    2. France Caillavet & Adélaïde Fadhuile & Véronique Nichèle, 2016. "Taxing animal-based foods for sustainability: environmental, nutritional and social perspectives in France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 43(4), pages 537-560.
    3. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Corre, Tifenn, 2018. "An Environmental Tax Towards More Sustainable Food: Empirical Evidence of the Consumption of Animal Products in France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 48-61.
    4. Florent Vieux & Nicole N. Darmon & Djilali Touazi & Louis Georges Soler, 2012. "Greenhouse gas emissions of self-selected individual diets in France: Changing the Q23 diet structure or consuming less?," Post-Print hal-02649979, HAL.
    5. Cesar Revoredo-Giha & Neil Chalmers & Faical Akaichi, 2018. "Simulating the Impact of Carbon Taxes on Greenhouse Gas Emission and Nutrition in the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, January.
    6. Edjabou, Louise Dyhr & Smed, Sinne, 2013. "The effect of using consumption taxes on foods to promote climate friendly diets – The case of Denmark," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 84-96.
    7. Ariane Kehlbacher & Richard Tiffin & Adam Briggs & Mike Berners-Lee & Peter Scarborough, 2016. "The distributional and nutritional impacts and mitigation potential of emission-based food taxes in the UK," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 121-141, July.
    8. Anil Markandya & Ibon Galarraga & Luis M. Abadie & Josu Lucas & Joseph V. Spadaro, 2016. "What Role Can Taxes and Subsidies Play in Changing Diets?," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 72(2), pages 175-210, June.
    9. Arthur Lewbel & Krishna Pendakur, 2009. "Tricks with Hicks: The EASI Demand System," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(3), pages 827-863, June.
    10. James Greene & Nils Axel Braathen, 2014. "Tax Preferences for Environmental Goals: Use, Limitations and Preferred Practices," OECD Environment Working Papers 71, OECD Publishing.
    11. Smed, Sinne & Jensen, Jorgen D. & Denver, Sigrid, 2007. "Socio-economic characteristics and the effect of taxation as a health policy instrument," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(5-6), pages 624-639.
    12. Chancel, Lucas, 2014. "Are younger generations higher carbon emitters than their elders?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 195-207.
    13. Kerkhof, Annemarie C. & Moll, Henri C. & Drissen, Eric & Wilting, Harry C., 2008. "Taxation of multiple greenhouse gases and the effects on income distribution: A case study of the Netherlands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 318-326, September.
    14. Stefan Wirsenius & Fredrik Hedenus & Kristina Mohlin, 2011. "Greenhouse gas taxes on animal food products: rationale, tax scheme and climate mitigation effects," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 108(1), pages 159-184, September.
    15. Wier, Mette & Birr-Pedersen, Katja & Jacobsen, Henrik Klinge & Klok, Jacob, 2005. "Are CO2 taxes regressive? Evidence from the Danish experience," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 239-251, January.
    16. Vieux, F. & Darmon, N. & Touazi, D. & Soler, L.G., 2012. "Greenhouse gas emissions of self-selected individual diets in France: Changing the diet structure or consuming less?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 91-101.
    17. Brian Revell, 2015. "Meat and Milk Consumption 2050: the Potential for Demand-side Solutions to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 14(3), pages 4-11, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Christine Cleghorn & Ingrid Mulder & Alex Macmillan & Anja Mizdrak & Jonathan Drew & Nhung Nghiem & Tony Blakely & Cliona Ni Mhurchu, 2022. "Can a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tax on Food also Be Healthy and Equitable? A Systemised Review and Modelling Study from Aotearoa New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    2. France Caillavet & Nicole Darmon & Flavie Létoile & Veronique Nichèle, 2019. "Four decades of household food purchases: changes in inequalities of nutritional quality in France, 1971-2010 [Quatre décennies d'achats alimentaires : évolutions des inégalités de qualité nutritio," Post-Print hal-02530632, HAL.
    3. Jasmin Wehner & Xiaohua Yu, 2023. "Carbon tax on milk products and the exact consumer welfare measure in emerging economies," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(S1), pages 1595-1623, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. France Caillavet & Adélaïde Fadhuile & Veronique Nichèle, 2018. "Assessing the distributional effects of carbon taxes on food: inequalities and nutritional insights," Working Papers hal-01919440, HAL.
    2. Christine Cleghorn & Ingrid Mulder & Alex Macmillan & Anja Mizdrak & Jonathan Drew & Nhung Nghiem & Tony Blakely & Cliona Ni Mhurchu, 2022. "Can a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tax on Food also Be Healthy and Equitable? A Systemised Review and Modelling Study from Aotearoa New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Caillavet, France & Fadhuile, Adelaide & Nichèle, Véronique, 2018. "How does carbon pricing matter for a climate-friendly food consumption?," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273860, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Erica Doro & Vincent Réquillart, 2020. "Review of sustainable diets: are nutritional objectives and low-carbon-emission objectives compatible?," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 101(1), pages 117-146.
    5. Ariane Kehlbacher & Richard Tiffin & Adam Briggs & Mike Berners-Lee & Peter Scarborough, 2016. "The distributional and nutritional impacts and mitigation potential of emission-based food taxes in the UK," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 121-141, July.
    6. Doro, Erica & Réquillart, Vincent, 2018. "Sustainable diets: are nutritional objectives and low-carbon-emission objectives compatible?," TSE Working Papers 18-913, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    7. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Corre, Tifenn, 2018. "An Environmental Tax Towards More Sustainable Food: Empirical Evidence of the Consumption of Animal Products in France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 48-61.
    8. Tiboldo, Giulia & Boehm, Rebecca & Shah, Farhed & Moro, Daniele & Castellari, Elena, 2022. "Taxing the heat out of the U.S. food system," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    9. Soler, Louis-Georges & Thomas, Alban, 2020. "Is there a win-win scenario with both limited beef production and reduced beef consumption?," TSE Working Papers 20-1067, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    10. Louis-Georges Soler & Alban Thomas, 2020. "Is there a win–win scenario with increased beef quality and reduced consumption?," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 101(1), pages 91-116, October.
    11. Caillavet, France & Fadhuile, Adelaide & Nichèle, Véronique, 2014. "Taxing animal foods for sustainability: environmental, nutritional and social perspectives in France," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182863, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Dogbe, Wisdom & Gil, José M., 2018. "Effectiveness of a carbon tax to promote a climate-friendly food consumption," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 235-246.
    13. Annika J. Thies & Matthias Staudigel & Daniela Weible, 2023. "A segmentation of fresh meat shoppers based on revealed preferences," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 1075-1099, October.
    14. Edjabou, Louise Dyhr & Smed, Sinne, 2013. "The effect of using consumption taxes on foods to promote climate friendly diets – The case of Denmark," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 84-96.
    15. Cesar Revoredo-Giha & Neil Chalmers & Faical Akaichi, 2018. "Simulating the Impact of Carbon Taxes on Greenhouse Gas Emission and Nutrition in the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, January.
    16. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Réquillart, Vincent & Treich, Nicolas, 2020. "Viewpoint: Regulating meat consumption to improve health, the environment and animal welfare," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    17. Vivian G. M. Quam & Joacim Rocklöv & Mikkel B. M. Quam & Rebekah A. I. Lucas, 2017. "Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Health Co-Benefits: A Structured Review of Lifestyle-Related Climate Change Mitigation Strategies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, April.
    18. Dogbe, Wisdom & Gil, Jose Maria, 2017. "Distributional Impacts of Green Taxes on Food Consumption in Catalonia," 2017 International Congress, August 28-September 1, 2017, Parma, Italy 261416, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Chalmers, Neil & Revoredo-Giha, Cesar, 2017. "Designing a healthy and sustainable diet," 91st Annual Conference, April 24-26, 2017, Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland 258622, Agricultural Economics Society.
    20. Säll, Sarah, 2018. "Environmental food taxes and inequalities: Simulation of a meat tax in Sweden," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 147-153.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02130816. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.