Should Junk Food Be Taxed?

The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on food rights recently submitted a report that questions whether governments should tax junk foods as a means of protecting their citizens from preventable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. Though the Human Rights Council typically deals more with issues surrounding food accessability, the report highlights the growing problems with the abundance of unhealthful junk foods, and suggests taxing items such as soda and foods that are rich in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. By calling attention to the issues of deregulated agribusiness systems, the report questions whether member governments have violated the rights of their citizens by allowing an abundance of junk food.