Oh regarding market forces you are correct! I am a bit of an idealist! In South Africa we have a distinct split economy so one is the formal economy which is modeled on the west

The other is an informal one, which I feel is much better at self regulating! People can only sell what the produce and vendors come and go as supply is needed! Having a free market isn’t easy with all the cheap money and financialisarion of industries like you say it’s profit at all costs

Instead of having 5 butchers serve on city and pulling from 10 local farms we have one company that owns the whole supply chain so you get “cheaper” prices to the consumer but at what cost?

I’d rather pay more knowing it’s going to a family than to a Monsanto shareholder!

Oh as for Junk food I would understand a sin tax on that it’s really abuse on so many levels, but I don’t want the mom and pop burger joint to be punished, which is why I’m iffy about the meat tax!

I think it would need a little more nuances and not paint all meat providers with the same brush!

Sure factory farming is horrid but the local farmer doing his thing is if the tax can put him on a level playing field with the artificial stuff by all means!

I like that idea idea of having it fund alternative protein industry which gives consumers more options and provides more competition!

Always good on paper but the government sadly has a history of doing well in extracting funding but not using it correctly