Mapping of food industry strategies to influence public health policy, research and practice in South Africa
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Mapping of food industry strategies to influence public health policy, research and practice in South Africa Me´lissa Mialon1
•
Eric Crosbie2 • Gary Sacks3
Received: 18 November 2019 / Revised: 29 April 2020 / Accepted: 7 June 2020 Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+) 2020
Abstract Objectives To identify the corporate political activity (CPA) of food industry actors in South Africa. Methods We studied the CPA of ten different food actors for the period Jan 2018–April 2019. We used a systematic approach and existing framework to collect and analyse information available in the public domain, including material from the industry, government, academia and civil society. Results Food industry actors in South Africa established multiple relationships with various parties in and outside the South African government. These included interactions between large food companies and the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Sport & Recreation, the Department of Health, and the Department of Agriculture. In addition, the food industry-sponsored community programs, with a focus on poverty alleviation and undernutrition. Moreover, food industry actors influenced science were directly involved in policy-making and helped frame the debate on diet and public health in South Africa. Conclusions It is crucial that there is increased transparency, disclosure, and awareness of industry strategies, and that mechanisms to address and manage industry influence are strengthened in the country. Keywords Commercial determinants of health Corporate political activity Food industry Non-communicable diseases
Introduction
This article is part of the special issue ‘‘Market-driven forces and Public Health’’.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01407-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. & Me´lissa Mialon [email protected] Eric Crosbie [email protected] Gary Sacks [email protected] 1
School of Public Health, University of Sa˜o Paulo, Sa˜o Paulo, Brazil
2
School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, USA
3
Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
Malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major health issues in South Africa. The prevalence of overweight for girls aged 5 to 19 years old increased from 8.9% in the early 2000s to 29.4% in 2016, with similar increases observed for boys (Global Nutrition Report 2018). The consumption of ultra-processed food products, which are often high in fat, sugar and salt, and lack essential nutrients, is particularly problematic (Igumbor et al. 2012; Monteiro et al. 2013; Delobelle et al. 2016). In parallel, the prevalence of underweight is still high (15.3% for girls and 24.3% for boys, in 2016), although these rates have decreased in recent years (Global Nutrition Report 2018). Government policy action, such as regulations to restrict the exposure of
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