Integrated food systems approaches for healthy diets in the Caribbean

[Extract]. Food insecurity, obesity, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are significant problems impeding human and economic development of small island nations and communities of the Caribbean Region. In addition, the Caribbean Community states remain prone to natural disasters and extreme weather events occurring at an increased frequency, attributed to climate change. Concerted efforts, increasing political commitment and leadership to address food insecurity and nutritional challenges during the past two decades enabled several regional and international policies and initiatives with varying levels of success. These initiatives recognize that the healthiness of local diets is ultimately determined by the local production capacity, the availability of and access to healthy foods, and its market characteristics including the importation and proliferation of unhealthy processed foods. This was emphasized during the recent United Nations Food Systems Summit convened to set the stage for global food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Creating healthier food environments to combat noncommunicable disease in the Caribbean

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is committed to supporting the development of evidence, innovation, and policies to build healthier food systems, enable healthy and sustainable diets, and prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The need and opportunity to do so has been great in the small island nations and communities of the Caribbean where political commitment and leadership have enabled both local action and influence of high-level, global dialogue to address the NCD epidemic. [...]

Addressing the evidence gap to stimulate tobacco control in Latin America and the Caribbean / Abordando las brechas de evidencia para fomenter el control del Tabaco en América Latina y el Caribe

A key part of Canada’s foreign policy efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development. Tobacco use remains one of the highest contributors to the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. One of the most effective tools to address this problem, tobacco taxation, contributes both to the economic empowerment of governments and promotes downward pressure on the consumption of tobacco products. This is why IDRC has given priority to generating local evidence for fiscal policies on tobacco control in the region, especially in the past five years, to strengthen the leadership of researchers and policy makers in ministries of finance. Research results presented in this issue help to address the evidence gaps and industry opposition that have posed a barrier to tobacco policy adoption in the Region...

Toward a systemic research agenda for addressing the joint epidemics of HIV/AIDS and noncommunicable diseases.

A growing proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS also struggle to cope with one or several noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly as they age. The two epidemics being intertwined, there is increasing recognition that that there should be closer advocacy, policy and programmatic links between HIV and NCDs. The objective of this paper is to discuss the development of a research agenda geared towards informing the design and implementation of programs and policies truly grounded in a co-benefits approach. Tackling the joint epidemics of HIV/AIDS and NCDs in Africa will require for research funders and private and foreign aid donors to be bold, visionary and to commit to long-term research investments in order to evaluate the effects of natural policy experiments and complex interventions.