Tonie Mudde presents an article in the Dutch newspaper: de Volkskrant (Wednesday 20^th of June).

Discount on fruit and vegetables stimulate healthy consumption more than a tax on unhealthy products does. Wilma Waterlander has done research during the past 6 months in supermarkets (C1000 and PLUS). She concluded that those people who had the chance to profit from discount on healthy food bought 115 grams more fruit and vegetables each day!

The Fat-tax, recently introduced in Denmark is less effective according to Waterlander. Why? Because it is not yet clear what makes food unhealthy: the carbohydrates, the sugars or the saturated fats? Thus, as long as that is unknown, tax cannot effectively be implemented on unhealthy products. Whereas tax on unhealthy products are ineffective, tax on healthy products are effective. Why? Because everyone agrees that fruit and vegetables are healthy!

Another question raised in the article is why unhealthy cookies are relatively cheaper than healthy fruits. The answer is the restructuring of the agricultural market; the high subsidies. Fruit and vegetables seem more expensive, only because they do not profit from the same subsidies. Should this change?

An interesting thought I found. But even without the further discussion, this provides another reason to buy more green products! Morgen initiatives, remember the DUKO-card ;)

Copright Morgen - M.P. van Roeden