Tag: VAT

How the UK VAT system identifies vested interests costing us and the earth

Few realise the UK VAT system can precisely identify, at the point of sale, the major powerful global interests skewing our food system. Here’s how it is:

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The status quo, vested interests & a simple metric for civic leaders

Where, we asked ourselves, should we recommend civic leaders to focus their time and effort given what else is on their agenda? What’s within their power to do?

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Food system dynamics: Part II — Follow the money

The image above is of the Walkers crisp factory in Beaumont Leys in Leicester, taken from Bradgate Park by Phil McIver.

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VAT: A really useful point of sale metric

Taxation is really interesting. Oh yes it is. In 1940, Britain was at war. The British Isles surrounded by water. Dependant on imports that couldn’t get through. Shortages everywhere.

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VAT: A really useful point of sale metric

Taxation is really interesting. Oh yes it is. In 1940, Britain was at war. The British Isles surrounded by water. Dependant on imports that couldn’t get through. Shortages everywhere.

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Five levers on our food system

Birmingham spends some £3.4bn every year on food and drink, yet the cost of obesity to the city has been estimated to be £2.6bn, with a further £448M being spent here on dealing with alcohol related harm.

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Lunar Society: Climate change & food security

My starter-for-ten for the discussion on climate change and food security tonight for the modern-day Lunar Society is that we need to find qualitatively different kinds of questions on the matter.

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Birmingham: Food futures for us — and for everyone else

Radical changes in our diet could be a major part of us meeting the huge global food security challenges we’re facing. Yet what the heck is any one of us meant to do?

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Avoid VAT-rated food products — save money, pay less tax and be healthy!

If the average person spends 30% less on their household food bill, they’ll save money — and pay less tax, be a lot healthier and contribute to global food security.

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Sugar tax?

The notion of a sugar tax has undoubtedly had impact. But how feasible is such a tax, and what effect would it have? Lawyer Jessica Burt recently wrote a Guardian article A sugar tax won’t work. And here’s why. Following on...

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