Tax Meat: Frequently Asked Questions

What will this proposal cost the average American?

A typical meat-eating family of four would only pay about $5 per month, and a chunk of that would likely be absorbed by the large meat companies. If the family did replace some of their meat consumption with healthy vegetarian foods, they would likely save hundreds or thousands of dollars in medical expenses over time as their health improved.

Of course, a vegetarian family would not have to pay this tax at all.

Will farmers and ranchers lose their jobs?

Corporate animal factories have largely replaced family farms, and with them, machines have replaced many employees. The jobs that are left are extremely dangerous, and workers (often exploited immigrants) are treated horribly. Human Rights Watch conducted a major study of working conditions in the industry and concluded, "Meatpacking is the most dangerous factory job in America. . . . Nearly every worker interviewed for this report bore physical signs of a serious injury suffered from working in a meat or poultry plant. . . . Every country has its horrors, and this industry is one of the horrors in the United States."

Learn more about working conditions in the meat industry.

As Americans increasingly switch to a vegetarian diet, more jobs—those with safer working conditions—will be created in the production of vegetarian food.

Does PETA really care about human health and the environment?

PETA believes that compassion is limitless. We care about all animals, including humans. Our proposal for a tax on meat makes sense, for people's health, the economy, and the environment.

A tax on meat would even help alleviate global hunger.

Is this proposal politically feasible?

Yes. We've overcome the enormous political influence of the tobacco and alcohol lobbies enough that we now have taxes on their products; it is now time to protect American consumers and the environment from the negative health impact of meat.

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