In a world grappling with the crises of climate change and widespread malnutrition — including both undernutrition and overnutrition — over 200 participants convened on April 16 for the hybrid symposium ‘The Future of Food Policy in an Uncertain World.’
ABOVE (from left): Event MC Dr Carolina Venegas Hargous, Research Fellow, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University; Prof. Kathryn Backholer, Co-Director of GLOBE, Deakin University; Prof. Francesco Branca, former Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organization; Prof. Anna Peeters, CEO of VicHealth; Dheepa Jeyapalan, Leader Convenor for Food Systems at Regen Melbourne; Dr Jane Martin, Executive Manager of the Food for Health Alliance; and Prof. Gary Sacks, Co-Director of GLOBE, Deakin University, at the food policy symposium in Melbourne.
The event emphasised the urgent need to transform global food systems, which are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and have left more than 700 million people undernourished.
Hosted by the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) within Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation, in partnership with RE-FRESH: Next Generation, VicHealth, and the Food For Health Alliance, the symposium brought together experts to discuss strategies for building a more sustainable, healthy, and equitable food system.
The event underscored the necessity of both implementing stronger regulations on unhealthy food actors and fostering nourishing, community-based food environments to build a more sustainable, healthy, and equitable food system.
Regulating Unhealthy Food Actors
Professor Francesco Branca, former Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organization, emphasised the importance of policies that improve the availability and affordability of food, including measures to curb the concentration of commercial players who “financially control” our food system, and regulations to shape our food environments. The visitor from Geneva also spoke of the need to support local small food producers and link them to markets and public food procurements.
Dr Jane Martin, Executive Manager of the Food for Health Alliance, highlighted that one-third of Australians’ energy intake comes from discretionary (junk) foods, with overweight (including obesity) now the leading risk factor contributing to Australia’s disease burden. She outlined current opportunities for government reform and advocated for stronger food labeling controls and regulations on unhealthy food marketing to children, noting that 13 countries have such policies in place.
Dr Martin also discussed the need for mandatory front-of-pack labeling, such as ‘teaspoons of sugar’ and warning symbols, which have proven effective in other countries. With only 35% uptake of the voluntary Health Star Rating scheme in Australia — short of the 70% target hoped for at this time — there is a growing consensus that government mandates are necessary. Additionally, implementing a tiered sugar-sweetened beverage tax, similar to the United Kingdom’s approach, could incentivise the food industry to reformulate products for better health outcomes.
Fostering Nourishing Local Food Environments
Dheepa Jeyapalan, Leader Convenor for Food Systems at Regen Melbourne, introduced the concept of ’15-minute cornucopias’ — local markets within a 15-minute walk where residents can access fresh, healthy food. This vision aims to disrupt current food landscape norms, promote fresh and healthy offerings, and elevate small producers. She called for this initiative to become an “earthshot”: a bold declaration to solve complex social problems through collective ambition and systemic change.
To move towards a more nourishing food environment, the speakers highlighted the need for better integration across different elements of the food system and a greater connection to the land. They emphasised the importance of learning from Aboriginal ways of connecting with and nurturing the land, which have sustained communities for thousands of years. Implementing policies that incentivise all segments of the food system can lead to a thriving food system encompassing jobs, land care, social connection, the joy of food, and improved health outcomes.
The symposium concluded with an engaging Q&A session moderated by VicHealth’s new CEO, Professor Anna Peeters, reflecting the audience’s enthusiasm for actionable change in food policy.
Want to dig deeper?
Explore the links and resources below to continue the conversation:
- Global Centre for Prevention Health and Nutrition – Research that empowers people and enables healthier environments.
- Institute for Health Transformation – Advancing health and wellbeing for all.
- VicHealth – Promoting good health and preventing chronic disease.
- Food For Health Alliance website – Policy and advocacy for healthier diets in Australia.
- Regen Melbourne – Understand how Regen Melbourne is driving collaborative change on food systems. PLUS check out the Regen Melbourne’s report from sensemaking Greater Melbourne’s food system
- The Cornucopia – Subscribe to Dheepa Jeyapalan’s food systems newsletter.
This free event was proudly brought to you by the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) within the Institute for Health Transformation (IHT) at Deakin University in partnership with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), the Food for Health Alliance and the Centre of Research Excellence in Food Retail Environments for Health: Next Generation (RE-FRESH: Next Generation).
