Some people think that the government should subsidize fruit and vegetables to make healthy food more affordable. Others argue that the government should tax unhealthy food instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion Gives reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge.

Health issues arising from consuming excessive amounts of junk food are a cause of great concern in many countries. There are calls for governments to either reduce the prices of healthy foodstuff through subsidies or to raise the costs of unhealthy products through taxation. In my opinion, a combination of the two is the best way forward. Taxing unhealthy fare like sugary drinks makes them relatively more costly, potentially encouraging consumers to buy more healthy alternatives. Evidence shows that

such

taxes do reduce consumption of potentially harmful intake and that firms reformulate their products, with beneficial effects on health.

Furthermore

,

this

policy could be considered as a kind of punishment for those consumers contributing to an increase in the risk of obesity.

For instance

, the so-called “sugar tax” imposed in the UK on soft drinks with a high sugar content has had some positive effects.

However

, soft drink manufacturers have reacted by reducing sugar levels to just under the amount liable for the surcharge,

as a result

, most people tend to buy

this

slightly healthier version without being ready to change their

overall

dietary habits. Subsidizing healthy groceries

such

as fruit and vegetables has,

therefore

, been proposed as a policy that would represent a reward rather than a punishment. Indeed,

this

strategy of passing price reductions directly on to the consumer seems to have a greater impact on eating habits, and it is

also

an important step towards encouraging people to eat better. Of course, one drawback is that persuading governments to spend money, rather than collect it through taxation is sometimes no simple matter. In the UK, grocers selling fruit and vegetables receive a rebate in the total amount they pay HMRC

according to

the amount of groceries, used as a subsidy to lower the prices they charge their customers.

To conclude

, I believe that the best way forward is to employ both strategies in tandem. Imposing a tax on unhealthy foods and drinks can discourage buyers from purchasing them and tax concessions can

then

be used to partly fund the cost of fruit and vegetables, to consumers,

thus

offering more