sharon friel national centre for epidemiology and population health the australian national...
TRANSCRIPT
Sharon Friel
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
The Australian National University
3rd People’s Health Assembly, Cape Town 8th July 2012
Trade, food and health inequity
What do we want?
People-centred food systems
Amended, Lang and Heasman (2004) Food Wars: the global battle for mouths, minds and markets
Fairness in
What have we got
IFPRI, Global Hunger Index 2010
1 billion undernourished people in the developing world
two billion people are overweight
1. Liberalisation of international food trade
2. Increased foreign direct investment
3. Globalised advertising and marketing
3 drivers of dietary change
Bilateral Investment Treaties explode
Slide: Richard Baldwin
Proliferation of new generation RTAs – broader scope and deeper integration
UNESCAP 2010, Asia Pacific Trade Investment Report 2011
1. Nutritional quality and quantity of imports
2. Foreign direct investment – convenience creep
3. Limitations on domestic policy instruments
4. Reduce tax-revenue base of governments to fund nutrition health and social programs
Four trade-related pathways of concern for nutrition and health equity
• In 2004 mutton flap consumption was about 600 g per week per adult and comprised 18% of total meat consumption
• Draft legislation for import quota to any product that had >40% energy from fat• Under WTO trade rules quotas are perceived as highly trade distorting• WTO accession negotiations resulted in postponement of legislation
Quantity of mutton flaps imported into Tonga, 1980–2007
Thow et al 2010 Food Policy 35: 556–564
1. Nutritional quality and quantity of imports
2. Foreign direct investment – convenience creep
3. Limitations on domestic policy instruments
4. Reduce tax-revenue base of governments to fund nutrition health and social programs
Per capita sales of unhealthy food and beverage commodities, 1997–2010, projected to 2016
Stuckler et al (2012) Manufacturing Epidemics: The Role of Global Producers in Increased Consumption of Unhealthy Commodities Including Processed Foods, Alcohol, and Tobacco. PLoS Med 9(6): e1001235. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001235
Stuckler et al (2012) Manufacturing Epidemics: The Role of Global Producers in Increased Consumption of Unhealthy Commodities Including Processed Foods, Alcohol, and Tobacco. PLoS Med 9(6): e1001235. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001235
Soft Drink Consumption(volume per capita)
1% higher GDP per capita 0.90%***
(0.19)1 percentage point higher urban population (% of total)
0.018%*
(0.0068)
Free Trade Agreement with the United States
55.4%*
(24.2)
Number of Countries 35R2 0.74
FTAs, Soft Drink Consumption, 35 low- and middle-income countries, year 2010
Top 10 manufacturers of packaged foods
Stuckler et al (2012) Manufacturing Epidemics: The Role of Global Producers in Increased Consumption of Unhealthy Commodities Including Processed Foods, Alcohol, and Tobacco. PLoS Med 9(6): e1001235. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001235
Three quarters of world food sales involve processed foods, for which the largest
manufacturers hold over a third of the global market.
1. Nutritional quality and quantity of imports
2. Foreign direct investment – convenience creep
3. Limitations on domesticpolicy instruments
4. Reduce tax-revenue base of governments to fund nutrition health and social programs
Thailand Snack Food Labelling
Technical Barriers to Trade Dispute
• 2006 Proposed Traffic Light System X
• Proposed Warning Label
• 2007 Label:“Should consume small amounts, and
exercise for a better health.”
changed to
“Should take less, and exercise for a better health”
1. Nutritional quality and quantity of imports
2. Foreign direct investment – convenience creep
3. Limitations on domestic policy instruments
4. Tariffs: reduce tax-revenue base of governments to fund nutrition health and social programs
Pacific Agreement of Closer Economic Relations (PACER PLUS)
Oxfam 2009
• Elimination of substantially all import tariffs between PICs and Australia and New Zealand
• Most of the increase will be in PIC imports not exports
Education Health PACER revenue loss
Cook Islands 14 11 6
Fiji 29 14 3
Kiribati 14 9 15
PNG 10 6 2
Samoa 22 17 12
Tonga 13 14 19
Vanuatu 23 11 18
Government Expend as % Total Budget
Global food prices, 1990-2012
FAO 2012
2002-2004=100
Food commodity speculationTrends in rice futures (2000–08)
Pace and Costello (2008). Food commodity derivatives: a new cause of malnutrition. The Lancet Vol 371 May 17
Thank you