WHAT DOES A FOOD POLICY HAVE TO DO TO EARN THE TITLE ‘HEALTHY’ AROUND HERE?
WHY IS ‘PEOPLE OVER PROFIT’ A STATEMENT WE NEED TO GET BEHIND?
It seems obvious, right? We should always prioritise people over profit!
But in practice, our policymaking doesn’t seem to always live up to that principle, and that lapse is harming us all. Although it’s easy to spout that, “eating healthy is an individual’s responsibility”, how easy is it to make healthy choices in environments designed to push the unhealthy ones?
Healthy Food Policy makes a difference to our food environments; so just how crucial is it to the health of Caribbean people?
HOW CAN YOU MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?
EVERYONE!
Share these campaign materials with your network so they understand these issues better.
GOVERNMENTS AND POLICYMAKERS!
You have a vital role to play.
- Establish clear guidelines— with transparent rules for public-private engagement and partnerships— to manage conflicts of interest and foster transparency.
- Invest in the implementation and enforcement of policies that are informed by sound, scientific evidence that is free from industry influence and any conflict of interest. Policies like
- Mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels (FOPWL);
- School environment regulations like regulating the sale and marketing of ultra-processed foods in and around schools;
- Marketing restrictions, especially to children and adolescents; and
- Fiscal policies such as a sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) tax
These policies have been endorsed by CARICOM Heads of Government and recommended by WHO/PAHO, CARPHA, UNICEF, HCC, Ministries of Health and other key stakeholders. They’ve also been successfully implemented in several countries trying to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
FOOD INDUSTRY HEADS!
Respect the independence of policymaking processes.
- Focus your efforts on ensuring more products follow national nutrition guidelines (or the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model);
- Quit marketing unhealthy food and drink products to children; and
- Adopt front-of-package warning labels that are backed by sound, international and regional scientific evidence.
CAMPAIGN AT A GLANCE
Launch Date: Monday | 1.MAY.2023
Locale: Regional/Caribbean
Type: Digital Media Campaign
Purpose:
- To advocate, and build support for healthy, evidence-informed food policies.
- To bring awareness to the potential of policy to improve lives through healthier food environments and a reduction in non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
- To highlight the impediments of industry interference and conflict of interest to policy development.
OUR PARTNERS
