Opportunities and challenges in developing a whole-of-government national food and nutrition policy: lessons from Australia’s National Food Plan

AbstractObjectiveThe present article tracks the development of the Australian National Food Plan as a ‘whole of government’ food policy that aimed to integrate elements of nutrition and sustainability alongside economic objectives.DesignThe article uses policy analysis to explore the processes of consultation and stakeholder involvement in the development of the National Food Plan, focusing on actors from the sectors of industry, civil society and government. Existing documentation and submissions to the Plan were used as data sources. Models of health policy analysis and policy streams were employed to analyse policy development processes.SettingAustralia.SubjectsAustralian food policy stakeholders.ResultsThe development of the Plan was influenced by powerful industry groups and stakeholder engagement by the lead ministry favoured the involvement of actors representing the food and agriculture industries. Public health nutrition and civil society relied on traditional methods of policy influence, and the public health nutrition movement failed to develop a unified cross-sector alliance, while the private sector engaged in different ways and presented a united front. The National Food Plan failed to deliver an integrated food policy for Australia. Nutrition and sustainability were effectively sidelined due to the focus on global food production and positioning Australia as a food ‘superpower’ that could take advantage of the anticipated ‘dining boom’ as incomes rose in the Asia-Pacific region.ConclusionsNew forms of industry influence are emerging in the food policy arena and public health nutrition will need to adopt new approaches to influencing public policy.

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Policy Analysis in Ireland

10.1332/policypress/9781447350897.001.0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Policy Analysis ◽

Policy Development ◽

Policy Outcomes ◽

Organizational Processes ◽

Analysis And Evaluation ◽

Specific Policy ◽

Current State ◽

Policy Ideas ◽

The Government

This volume constitutes the Irish element in the ever-expanding International Library of Policy Analysis series, edited by Michael Howlett and Iris Geva-May and published by Policy Press. It provides unique insights into the state of policy analysis in Ireland. It draws together contributions from some of the leading policy analysis experts, both academics and practitioners, to provide a multidimensional set of perspectives on how policy analysis has developed to its current state, a century after the country gained independence. The chapters examine the range of institutions and actors involved in policy analysis from across the government, the private sector and broader civil society. The intention is not to critique specific policy outcomes or policy developments, rather the chapters focus on the organizational processes, institutions and locations that contribute to the construction and supply of policy ideas as well as methods of policy analysis and evaluation. The chapters examine the policy capabilities of the institutions wherein policy development and evaluation are conducted. Our aim is to ensure that this volume constitutes a window into the research frontier of Irish policy analysis.

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Conflicting Conceptions of Place between Civil Society and Council Actors Involved in Local-level Food Policy Development: The Cases of Devon and Bath, UK

10.34074/scop.3004013 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Daphne Page

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Policy Development ◽

Food Policy ◽

Local Level

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Public health nutrition and food policy

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2003575 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 591-598 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

Martin Caraher ◽

John Coveney

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Food Choice ◽

Food System ◽

Food Policy ◽

Food Choices ◽

Public Health Nutrition ◽

Food Market ◽

The Individual ◽

Developed World ◽

Global Food

AbstractFood in its many manifestations allows us to explore the global control of health and to examine the ways in which food choice is moulded by many interests. The global food market is controlled by a small number of companies who operate a system that delivers ‘cheap’ food to the countries of the developed world. This ‘cheap’ food comes at a price, which externalises costs to the nation state in terms of health consequences (diabetes, coronary heart disease and other food-related diseases) and to the environment in terms of pollution and the associated clean-up strategies. Food policy has not to any great extent dealt with these issues, opting instead for an approach based on nutrition, food choice and biomedical health. Ignoring wider elements of the food system including issues of ecology and sustainability constrains a broader understanding within public health nutrition. Here we argue that public health nutrition, through the medium of health promotion, needs to address these wider issues of who controls the food supply, and thus the influences on the food chain and the food choices of the individual and communities. Such an upstream approach to food policy (one that has been learned from work on tobacco) is necessary if we are seriously to influence food choice.

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Cultivating Health Policy Analysis and Communication Skills in Undergraduate Public Health Education: An Active Learning Approach

Pedagogy in Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/23733799211003248 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 237337992110032

Author(s):

Denise D. Payán

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Active Learning ◽

Policy Analysis ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Public Health Programs ◽

Health Policy Analysis ◽

Undergraduate Public Health

Public health programs are increasingly offering health policy content to meet workforce demand for public health professionals with health policy analysis and communication skills. Undergraduate public health education in health policy and related curriculum is lacking. Existing work describes service- and experiential learning approaches, which may not be feasible in large courses or public health programs with limited administrative or financial resources. This article describes health policy curriculum, learning objectives, and course activities (i.e., individual writing assignment, mock policy debate, and policy analysis exercise) that integrate an active learning approach and use simulation to develop policy analysis and communication skills in an undergraduate classroom setting. An active learning approach can increase teaching effectiveness, critical thinking, peer interaction, and student engagement to cultivate these applied skills. The described curriculum has been used in various modalities (in-person, hybrid, and remote) with positive reception in a public research university with a high percentage of first-generation college students. Student course evaluations and an independent assessment of the policy analysis exercise reflect high student interest, engagement, problem solving, satisfaction, perceived benefits, and application of policy analysis and communication skills, providing support for teaching health policy curriculum to undergraduate students using an active learning approach. The discussion includes strategies to address resistance by public health instructors and students to using active learning techniques.

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