Meat taxes are inevitable, yet we seem to shy away from them. But why?

• A meaningful dietary transition requires robust fiscal policies, such as meat and dairy (hereinafter “meat”) taxes. • Meat taxes are optimal. They can be designed in ways that are not regressive. • Meat taxes are not necessarily unpopular. Design of tax is important. • Meat taxes are not particularly bad but made to look so by lobbyists. • Assessing synergies between meat taxes and other behavioural measures is essential for effective policy design.