Which government policies to create sustainable food systems have the potential to simultaneously address undernutrition, obesity and environmental sustainability?

INTRODUCTION: A transformation of food systems is urgently needed, given their contribution to three ongoing and interlinked global health pandemics: (1) undernutrition and food insecurity, (2) obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and (3) climate change and biodiversity loss. As policymakers make decisions that shape food systems, this study aimed to identify and prioritise policies with double- or triple-duty potential to achieve healthier and more environmentally sustainable food systems. METHODS: This study undertook a 4-step methodological approach, including (i) a compilation of international policy recommendations, (ii) an online survey, (iii) four regional workshops with international experts and (iv) a ranking for prioritisation. Policies were identified and prioritised based on their double- or triple-duty potential, synergies and trade-offs. Using participatory and transdisciplinary approaches, policies were identified to have double- or triple-duty potential if they were deemed effective in tackling two or three of the primary outcomes of interest: (1) undernutrition, (2) obesity/NCDs and (3) environmental degradation. RESULTS: The desk review identified 291 recommendations for governments, which were merged and classified into 46 initially proposed policies. Based on the results from the online survey, 61% of those policies were perceived to have double- or triple-duty potential. During the workshops, 4 potential synergies and 31 trade-offs of these policies were identified. The final list of 44 proposed policies for healthier and more environmentally sustainable food systems created was divided into two main policy domains: 'food supply chains' and 'food environments'. The outcome with the most trade-offs identified was 'undernutrition', followed by 'environmental sustainability', and 'obesity/NCDs'. Of the top five expert-ranked food supply chain policies, two were perceived to have triple-duty potential: (a) incentives for crop diversification; (b) support for start-ups, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. For food environments, three of the top five ranked policies had perceived triple-duty potential: (a) affordability of healthier and more sustainable diets; (b) subsidies for healthier and more sustainable foods; (c) restrictions on children's exposure to marketing through all media. CONCLUSION: This study identified and prioritised a comprehensive list of double- and triple-duty government policies for creating healthier and more environmentally sustainable food systems. As some proposed policies may have trade-offs across outcomes, they should be carefully contextualised, designed, implemented and monitored.

New Zealand household purchases of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened beverages: 2015-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To assess annual household purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (AFSBs), and unsweetened beverages (USBs) by household composition and income, and over time. DESIGN: Observational cohort study using beverage purchasing data linked to a supermarket database. ANOVA was used to compare total household purchase volumes (L) and the contribution of beverages purchased by category, household composition (size), household income (four categories from New Zealand (NZ) < $30 000 to > $90 000), and over time (trend from 2015 to 2019). SETTING: Aotearoa NZ. PARTICIPANTS: ∼1800 households in the NielsenIQ Homescan® market research panel. RESULTS: In 2019, the mean (sd) annual household purchase volume and relative contribution to total beverage volume of SSBs were 72·3 (93·0) L and 33 %, respectively. Corresponding values for AFSBs were 32·5 (79·3) L (15 %), and USBs were 112·5 (100·9) L (52 %). Larger households purchased more of all beverage types except AFSBs. Total purchases were similar by income, but households earning < $NZ 30 000 purchased fewer AFSBs and USBs (but not SSBs) than households earning > $NZ 90 000. Total and USB purchases were unchanged over time, but SSBs dropped by 5·9 L (P-trend = 0·04), and AFSBs increased by 5·3 L (P-trend = 0·00). CONCLUSIONS: USBs contributed the most to household beverage purchases. Total purchases were higher for larger households and similar by income, including for SSBs. The reduction over time was too small for health benefits. Findings support policies and interventions to reduce SSB consumption and highlight the importance of focusing on equitable outcomes.

A collective call to strengthen monitoring and evaluation efforts to support healthy and sustainable food systems: 'The Accountability Pact'.

There is widespread agreement among experts that a fundamental reorientation of global, regional, national and local food systems is needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda and address the linked challenges of undernutrition, obesity and climate change described as the Global Syndemic. Recognising the urgency of this imperative, a wide range of global stakeholders - governments, civil society, academia, agri-food industry, business leaders and donors - convened at the September 2021 UN Food Systems Summit to coordinate numerous statements, commitments and declarations for action to transform food systems. As the dust settles, how will they be pieced together, how will governments and food corporations be held to account and by whom? New data, analytical methods and global coalitions have created an opportunity and a need for those working in food systems monitoring to scale up and connect their efforts in order to inform and strengthen accountability actions for food systems. To this end, we present - and encourage stakeholders to join or support - an Accountability Pact to catalyse an evidence-informed transformation of current food systems to promote human and ecological health and wellbeing, social equity and economic prosperity.

Unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children on digital platforms in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Children's exposure to unhealthy food and beverage marketing has a direct impact on their dietary preference for, and consumption of, unhealthy food and drinks. Most children spend time online, yet marketing restrictions for this medium have had slow uptake globally. A voluntary Children's and Young People's Advertising (CYPA) Code was implemented in Aotearoa, New Zealand (NZ) in 2017. This study explores the Code's limitations in protecting children from harmful food and beverage marketing practices on digital platforms accessible to children. METHODS: A cross-sectional content analysis of company websites (n = 64), Facebook pages (n = 32), and YouTube channels (n = 15) of the most popular food and beverage brands was conducted between 2019 and 2021 in NZ. Brands were selected based on market share, web traffic analysis and consumer engagement (Facebook page 'Likes' and YouTube page views). Analysis focused on volume and type of food posts/videos, level of consumer interaction, nutritional quality of foods pictured (based on two different nutrient profile models), and use of specific persuasive marketing techniques. RESULTS: Eighty-one percent of websites (n = 52) featured marketing of unhealthy food and beverages. Thirty-five percent of websites featuring unhealthy food and beverages used promotional strategies positioning their products as 'for kids'; a further 13% used 'family-oriented' messaging. Several websites featuring unhealthy products also had designated sections for children, 'advergaming,' or direct messaging to children. Eighty-five percent of all food and drink company Facebook posts and YouTube videos were classified as unhealthy. Twenty-eight percent of Facebook posts for unhealthy products featured persuasive promotional strategies, and 39% premium offers. Nearly 30% of YouTube videos for unhealthy food and beverages featured promotional strategies, and 13% premium offers. Ten percent of Facebook posts and 13% of YouTube videos of unhealthy food and beverages used marketing techniques specifically targeting children and young people. CONCLUSIONS: The voluntary CYPA Code has been in effect since 2017, but the inherent limitations and loopholes in the Code mean companies continue to market unhealthy food and beverages in ways that appeal to children even if they have committed to the Code. Comprehensive and mandatory regulation would help protect children from exposure to harmful marketing.

D3-creatine dilution for the noninvasive measurement of skeletal muscle mass in premature infants.

BACKGROUND: The rate of accrual of muscle mass in neonates has not been assessed. We describe the D3-creatine (D3Cr) dilution method, a noninvasive assessment of muscle mass in neonates. METHODS: A total of 76 neonates >26-week-old corrected gestational age were enrolled and measured at 2-week intervals while admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Additional measures at 6 and 12-20 months after initial measurement were obtained if available. An enteral dose of 2 mg D3Cr in 0.5 mL 20% 2H2O was used to determine muscle mass and total body water (TBW). RESULTS: Muscle mass by the D3Cr method was strongly associated with TBW and body weight (r = 0.9272, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.9435, p < 0.0001 for all time points and r = 0.6661, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.8634, p < 0.0001, respectively, while in the NICU). Change in muscle mass vs. change in body weight, TBW, and length were also strongly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: The D3Cr dilution method provides a noninvasive assessment of muscle mass accrual in neonates, which has not been previously possible and may be an important new tool for the evaluation of nutritional status and normal growth patterns. IMPACT: We describe a noninvasive method for the measurement of skeletal muscle mass neonates. At the present time, there is no direct measurement of muscle mass in infants available. The D3Cr dilution method is a direct and noninvasive measurement of muscle mass. Using a single enteral dose of D3Cr in 2H2O followed by urine and saliva samples, rapid and substantial accrual of muscle mass and TBW is assessed. Assessment of muscle mass accrual in premature infants may be a strong indicator of nutritional status. Change in muscle mass is strongly related to change in weight and TBW.

Who influences nutrition policy space using international trade and investment agreements? A global stakeholder analysis.

BACKGROUND: Regulation of food environments is needed to address the global challenge of poor nutrition, yet policy inertia has been a problem. A common argument against regulation is potential conflict with binding commitments under international trade and investment agreements (TIAs). This study aimed to identify which actors and institutions, in different contexts, influence how TIAs are used to constrain policy space for improving food environments, and to describe their core beliefs, interests, resources and strategies, with the objective of informing strategic global action to preserve nutrition policy space. METHODS: We conducted a global stakeholder analysis applying the Advocacy Coalition Framework, based on existing academic literature and key informant interviews with international experts in trade and investment law and public health nutrition policy. RESULTS: We identified 12 types of actors who influence policy space in the food environment policy subsystem, relevant to TIAs. These actors hold various beliefs regarding the economic policy paradigm, the nature of obesity and dietary diseases as health problems, the role of government, and the role of industry in solving the health problem. We identified two primary competing coalitions: 1) a 'public health nutrition' coalition, which is overall supportive of and actively working to enact comprehensive food environment regulation; and 2) an 'industry and economic growth' focussed coalition, which places a higher priority on deregulation and is overall not supportive of comprehensive food environment regulation. The industry and economic growth coalition appears to be dominant, based on its relative power, resources and coordination. However, the public health nutrition coalition maintains influence through individual activism, collective lobbying and government pressure (e.g. by civil society), and expert knowledge generation. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that industry and economic growth-focussed coalitions are highly capable of leveraging networks, institutional structures and ideologies to their advantage, and are a formidable source of opposition acting to constrain nutrition policy space globally, including through TIAs. Opportunities for global public health nutrition coalitions to strengthen their influence in the support of nutrition policy space include strategic evidence generation and coalition-building through broader engagement and capacity-building.

Implications of international trade and investment agreements on policy space for restricting marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children: lessons from inter-disciplinary expert interviews.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the implications of international trade and investment agreements (TIA) for national governments' policy space to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. DESIGN: In-depth interviews based on a series of policy scenario 'vignettes,' guided by an adapted scenario analysis methodology. SETTING: Global. PARTICIPANTS: Nine key informants from relevant sectors, with expertise regarding the intersection of public health nutrition policy, international trade law and international investment law. RESULTS: Participants consistently identified the relevance of several principles, common to many TIA: non-discrimination, necessity and justification, market access requirements and quantitative restrictions, intellectual property rights and trademark protections and fair and equitable treatment of investors. Two main policy design factors that interact heavily with TIA-related policy space were the framing of objectives and regulatory distinctions drawn. Contextual factors may shape the analysis of TIA-related policy space on a case-by-case basis, while the relative power of the actors and institutions involved in both domestic and international policy spheres may influence whether and how such legal constraints to policy space are activated. CONCLUSIONS: Regulatory marketing restrictions run the risk of incurring challenges under World Trade Organization agreements and other free TIA. However, concerned policymakers should be aware of the difference between theoretical risk, threat of a challenge and realistic initiation and/or loss of a formal dispute. Our findings indicate that there is policy space to adopt significant marketing restrictions, though an understanding of these legal risks and strategic policy design are important.

A review of international trade and investment agreements and nutrition policy space in the Pacific.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific are heavily reliant on imported foods which are often nutritionally deficient, and typically high in salt, fat, and sugar. To curb nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, nutrition policies are needed to create food environments that promote healthy diets. However, international trade and investment agreements (TIAs) may interfere with the policy space for SIDS to regulate their food environments by requiring member states to meet trade obligations that could conflict with their nutrition policy goals. In this review, we identify real examples of where TIAs have been responsible for changes in Pacific SIDS' nutrition policies alongside the potential for further constraints on healthy nutrition policies from Pacific Island participation in TIAs. In addition, we note the effects of regulatory chill from TIA obligations in Pacific SIDS, whereby healthy nutrition policies are not considered, developed, or implemented due to the threat of trade disputes or the complexity of TIA procedural requirements. Existing literature indicates that TIAs have shaped nutrition policies to fit within the global trade paradigm despite SIDS' nutrition policy imperatives. More can be done locally, regionally, and internationally to increase the importance of nutrition in the trade agenda, leverage regional institutions to champion nutrition regulation and support SIDS in navigating the trade and nutrition policy environment.

International Trade and Investment Agreements as Barriers to Food Environment Regulation for Public Health Nutrition: A Realist Review.

BACKGROUND: Achieving healthy food systems will require regulation across the supply chain; however, binding international economic agreements may be constraining policy space for regulatory intervention in a way that limits uptake of 'best-practice' nutrition policy. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which this occurs, and under which conditions, can inform public health engagement with the economic policy sector. METHODS: We conducted a realist review of nutrition, policy and legal literature to identify mechanisms through which international trade and investment agreements (TIAs) constrain policy space for priority food environment regulations to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Recommended regulations explored include fiscal policies, product bans, nutrition labelling, advertising restrictions, nutrient composition regulations, and procurement policies. The process involved 5 steps: initial conceptual framework development; search for relevant empirical literature; study selection and appraisal; data extraction; analysis and synthesis, and framework revision. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies and 30 institutional records of formal trade/investment disputes or specific trade concerns (STCs) raised were included. We identified 13 cases in which TIA constraints on nutrition policy space could be observed. Significant constraints on nutrition policy space were documented with respect to fiscal policies, product bans, and labelling policies in 4 middle-income country jurisdictions, via 3 different TIAs. In 7 cases, trade-related concerns were raised but policies were ultimately preserved. Two of the included cases were ongoing at the time of analysis. TIAs constrained policy space through 1) TIA rules and principles (non- discrimination, necessity, international standards, transparency, intellectual property rights, expropriation, and fair and equitable treatment), and 2) interaction with policy design (objectives framed, products/services affected, nutrient thresholds chosen, formats, and time given to comment or implement). Contextual factors of importance included: actors/institutions, and political/regulatory context. CONCLUSION: Available evidence suggests that there are potential TIA contributors to policy inertia on nutrition. Strategic policy design can avoid most substantive constraints. However, process constraints in the name of good regulatory practice (investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), transparency, regulatory coherence, and harmonisation) pose a more serious threat of reducing government policy space to enact healthy food policies.

Expert knowledge sourcing for public health surveillance: national tsetse mapping in Uganda.

In much of sub-Saharan Africa, availability of standardized and reliable public health data is poor or negligible. Despite continued calls for the prioritization of improved health datasets in poor regions, public health surveillance remains a significant global health challenge. Alternate approaches to surveillance and collection of public health data have thus garnered increasing interest, though there remains relatively limited research evaluating these approaches for public health. Herein, we present a case study applying and evaluating the use of expert knowledge sources for public health dataset development, using the case of vector distributions of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in Uganda. Specific objectives include: 1) Review the use of expert knowledge sourcing methods for public health surveillance, 2) Review current knowledge on tsetse vector distributions of public health importance in Uganda and the methods used for tsetse mapping in Africa; 3) Quantify confidence of the presence or absence of tsetse flies in Uganda based on expert informant reports, and 4) Assess the reliability and potential utility of expert knowledge sourcing as an alternative or complimentary method for public health surveillance in general and tsetse mapping in particular. Information on tsetse presence or absence, and associated confidence, was collected through interviews with District Entomologist and Veterinary Officers to develop a database of tsetse distributions for 952 sub-counties in Uganda. Results show high consistency with existing maps, indicating potential reliability of modeling approaches, though failing to provide evidence for successful tsetse control in past decades. Expert-sourcing methods provide a novel, low-cost and rapid complimentary approach for triangulating data from prediction modeling where field-based validation is not feasible. Data quality is dependent, however, on the level of expertise and documentation to support confidence levels for data reporting. Results highlight the need for increased evaluation of alternate approaches and methods to data collection.