New Dutch goverment attacks healthy food, poor people

This video from the USA says about itself:

Top 10 Healthiest Vegetables

5 June 2013

You are what you eat, and if you eat these vegetables you are healthy! … We rank the vegetables based not only on their health attributes, but also on price, convenience and overall flavor.

After the March 2017 general election in the Netherlands, there is no new government yet. Four parties are talking about a coalition government with just a one seat majority in parliament. It is expected they will have that new government soon.

The four parties are: the pro-Big Business VVD of old and probably new Prime Minister Mark Rutte; D66, also pro-Big Business but somewhat less anti-environment; CDA, a pro-Big Business Christian party; and the Christian Union, more right-wing than the CDA on issues like women’s reproductive rights but more left-wing on the environment.

From Avaaz.org today:

Dear friends across the Netherlands,

The Dutch government just announced plans to increase taxes on fruits and vegetables by 50%! Almost half of Dutch citizens are overweight, and 6 out of 7 do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. Let’s keep these important foods affordable for all. Join the massive protest — add your name in just one click.

The government just announced plans to increase taxes on fruits and vegetables by 50%! Almost half of Dutch citizens are overweight — the last thing we need is for eating healthy to be even more expensive.

We have 8 days until Rutte presents his new cabinet. When he does, let’s make sure this dangerous tax is off the table. From every corner of society, with scientists, politicians and businesses, we rise to reject Rutte’s unhealthy tax. Sign now, with just one click, and then tell everyone:

Rutte: healthy food is a right, not a privilege

To Prime Minister Rutte and members of the Dutch cabinet:

“We count on you to do everything within your power to stimulate healthy eating, and make sure it is accessible to everybody. Healthy food is a right, not a privilege. We therefore call on you to scrap the proposed tax increase on fruit and vegetables, and instead make those foods tax-free.”

Rutte: healthy food is a right, not a privilege

This proposed tax increase completely ignores scientific evidence and advice — even the government’s own official advisory body wants to stimulate a healthy diet of more fruit and vegetables! And scientists say cutting taxes on those foods is necessary to make sure a healthy diet is accessible to everybody.

Our leaders claim that reducing or even cutting taxes on fruit and vegetables is impossible under EU regulations, and yet several countries have done just that. Let’s make sure our government does the same to encourage healthy eating — sign now!

Rutte: healthy food is a right, not a privilege

Safe and healthy food is something our movement cares about deeply. It’s why we’ve take a giant stand against toxic pesticides and are doing all we can to save the bees. Now let’s make sure a healthy diet remains within everyone’s reach.

With hope and determination,

Anneke, Lisa, Caroline, Mike and the whole team at Avaaz

More information:

New Dutch Govt. to change integration policy, increase VAT (NL times)
https://nltimes.nl/2017/10/06/new-dutch-govt-change-integration-policy-increase-vat

The effects of a 25% discount on fruits and vegetables: results of a randomized trial in a three-dimensional web-based supermarket (NCBI)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3297502/

In Dutch:

Richtlijnen gezonde voeding 2015 (Gezondheidsraad):
https://www.gezondheidsraad.nl/nl/taak-werkwijze/werkterrein/gezonde-voeding/richtlijnen-goede-voeding-2015

Gezondheidscoalitie boos op nieuw kabinet vanwege BTW-verhoging (Foodlog)
https://www.foodlog.nl/artikel/gezondheidscoalitie-boos-op-nieuw-kabinet-vanwege-btw-verhoging/

Terugkijken: Lubach bekritiseert de ongezonde btw-verhoging (HP de Tijd)
http://www.hpdetijd.nl/2017-10-16/terugkijken-lubach-btw-verhoging/

Brief informateur Zalm inzake verhoging BTW-tarief (de Formatiewijzer)
http://deformatiewijzer.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/17GFH103-Brief-informateur-Zalm-inzake-verhogen-BTW-tarief.pdf

The plans of the new Dutch government to raise the value added tax (VAT) by 50% are not only a danger to health.

They are social injustice as well.

As indirect taxes on food etc., which mainly hurt poor people, are going up; while direct taxes for rich people go down.

Therefore, there is also an Internet petition against rising the VAT in general.

That campaign is supported by the Socialist Party, the Green Left party, the PvdA Labour party, the Party for the Animals, the 50 Plus pensioners’ party, the DENK party (mainly of immigrant voters), the FNV trade union federation, the artists’ federation, the BKNL art federation, the construction businesses’ federation NOA, the booksellers’ federation, the vegetable and fruit shops federation, the pensioners’ organisation ANBO, the Slow Food Youth Network, the cyclists’ federation, the patients’ organisation and the rheumatism fund.