How many fast food billboards and snack ads on bus stops have you noticed on your way to work? Now imagine how many a child may spot on their way to school? Marketing of ultra processed products today unfortunately does not stop at the school’s doors but has infiltrated the school environment in the form of sports day sponsorships, branded school benches and even branded school supplies. With 1 in 4 school-aged children in Trinidad and Tobago overweight or obese, consideration needs to be given to their immediate food environments inclusive of schools. Diets consisting mainly of ultra processed products (UPPs) are high in sugar, fat and salt while low in health promoting nutrients such as fiber, protein and other micronutrients. These food products tend to displace nutrient dense foods that are freshly prepared and minimally processed. The high marketing level of UPPs and their often cheaper price point support their overconsumption and decrease the nutritional quality of an individual’s diet pattern. The role of marketing of ultraprocessed products in influencing food preferences and eating habits cannot be understated when frequent consumption of these products have been associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Given that the NCD burden faced by our country and the region remains a growing health crisis, school food environments should therefore be tailored towards supporting health and wellbeing rather than the promotion of unhealthy foods.
To raise awareness on this issue, from May 28 to June 6, 2026, youth and civil society organisations across the region mobilised for “Hope for the Future 3.0”, a synchronized advocacy effort led by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) members and the organisation’s youth arm Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY), alongside regional partners. Activities took place in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago, where youth and civil society organisations engaged communities through public education, dialogue, and advocacy. This year’s initiative focused on calling for the ban of marketing of ultra-processed products in and around schools.
In Trinidad and Tobago, civil society organisations such as the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago (DATT), Trinidad and Tobago Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians, Trinidad and Tobago NCD Alliance, Mindwise TT in collaboration with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and the Healthy Caribbean Youth, created a game based learning experience for the students, teachers and parents in attendance at DATT’s National Primary School Quiz Finals on June 5th, 2026. The game based learning experience featured stations that covered ultraprocessed product examples, marketing tactics used to promote these products and influence food choice, as well as provided opportunities for ideas to be shared on ways the school environment could be made healthier.
Such efforts are directly aligned with the Trinidad and Tobago government’s proposed strengthened school nutrition standards. Youth partnerships in the implementation of school nutrition policies as seen in Barbados and Jamaica has had great success. Youth advocates understand the importance of a supportive school environment and stand ready to provide support through amplifying health education and mobilising resources.
We set our eyes on a future where sustainable changes are made through stronger relationships and consistent dialogue between youth, the state, CSOs and all relevant stakeholders such as parents and teachers. We believe that through this shared vision of health and wellness and taking inspiration from neighbours across the region, our goals can be materialised. Youth involvement supports effective and rapid change in our most urgent matters. Our stance is strong, and our passion is loud. The youth are ready and willing to engage in health decision making spaces. Paving the way for problems faced by youth to be solved and supported by youth.
Rozette Scotland – Registered Dietitian, Healthy Caribbean Youth Member
Charissa David – Registered Dietitian, Trinidad and Tobago Noncommunicable Disease Alliance program officer