The Netherlands plans to increase the consumption tax on non-alcoholic beverages, including plant-based milk starting from 1 January 2024. The tax will rise from EUR 8.83 (~USD 9.53) per 100 liters to EUR 26.13 (~USD 28.20) per 100 liters, a 196% increase.

The Dutch government has highlighted the need to encourage the consumption of healthier drinks while discouraging the consumption of sugary carbonated drinks. Animal milk is excluded from the tax as it has been identified as a healthy beverage. 

The pro-animal political party, PvdD (Party for the Animal), has opposed the tax hike, arguing that nut, rice, and oat milk are healthy alternatives to animal milk and should not be part of the tax hike. In response to this criticism, the junior health minister claimed that plant-based milk has “other ingredients and the impact of plant-based dairy alternatives has not been thoroughly examined.”