Of course, one of the most serious public health problems is poor food quality. This problem is already the main cause of illness and loss of quality of life in the world. The current food model is getting us sick more and more. In the last two decades, almost three-quarters of what we eat are processed foods. In the Basque Country, as in other industrialized western countries, there is an excessive consumption of sugars, harmful fats and salt. The reason is not so much the choice of oneself, but the tremendous power of the food industry. And that's because that giant power conditions the food production and consumption system and has direct access to political decisions.
This food model has at least two relevant consequences beyond the strict health area, also in the socioeconomic sphere. First, the harmful food model has affected the budget of the public health system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the consumption of harmful foods is responsible for cardiovascular diseases, half of the cases of diabetes and other cancers. This has an extraordinary impact on the public health system and its budget, which the WHO estimate raises up to 20% of the budget.
According to a report by the 'Overseas Development Institut', fruit and vegetable prices have increased on an average annual basis from 2% to 3%, while the majority of processed foods have decreased over these twenty-two years. In view of this evolution, almost half of the population of the Spanish State and more than a third of Hego Euskal Herria cannot afford healthy food.
In addition, the size of the impact is different if one takes into account the income level of the person. Healthy, organic or quality food is more expensive than processed foods, so low-income people cannot afford healthier foods. A report by the Overseas Development Institut analyses the evolution of the prices of the two types of food from five countries in the period 1990-2012. Fruit and vegetable prices have increased on average from 2% per annum to 3% in this period, while the majority of processed foods have decreased over the last twenty-two years. With this evolution, almost half of the population of the Spanish State and more than a third of the population of Hego Euskal Herria cannot afford healthy food. In addition, the study does not include more expensive organic or biological foods. Consequently, people with lower incomes are condemned to more frequent preventable diseases.
To address this social impact of the food market, among other measures, food tax policy can be a good instrument. This fiscal policy consists of rewarding healthy eating and punishing harmful eating, always in line with a public and egalitarian socio-sanitary policy, prioritizing the objective of low-income populations having access to healthy foods.
This measure is not new. The WHO European Food and Nutrition Action Plan 2015-2020 prioritizes pricing and tax policies that can affect food purchases. In the United Kingdom, the VAT on most foods is zero, while that on soft drinks, on salty snacks or sugary juices is 20%. The fact that Coca-Cola and carrot bear the same tax burden is incomprehensible from a health point of view. The hidden effect of harmful food does not mean that it is not a public health problem. Tax policies must also be corrected if we are not to condemn future generations. If we want the general interest to be above the interests of the food industry.