Policies, taxes and incentives

How do we use sticks and carrots to get more carrot sticks?

In this section we have pulled together resources that explore how regulations, taxation and incentives can be used to nudge stakeholders in the food system to do more for nutrition through public private engagement (PPE).

One of the best ways for governments to influence the behaviour of both businesses and consumers is to set clear priorities – often people simply do not know what to do when it comes to nutrition. This can be particularly challenging for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who are trying to navigate the intricacies of legislation, regulations and taxation when it comes to producing, processing and marketing their products.

Governments should take the lead in establishing and enforcing standards for nutrition, using the best available evidence to inform strategies and policies. While all stakeholders – including businesses - should have the opportunity to participate in a transparent policy process, conflicts of interest from the food industry as well as other actors should not influence standard-setting. Academia and civil society can play an important role in holding governments accountable for public and consumer interests.

So what are the tools, levers and drivers that can help make it easy for everyone to contribute to making safe and nutritious foods accessible, affordable and desirable?

Top resources we think matter

Reports and discussion papers: This report, compiled for the European Competitiveness and Sustainable Industrial Policy Consortium, gives a detailed look into the impact of food
Advocacy and policy: Policy brief by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition looking at the evidence for gov
Peer review: This article in the British Medical Journal reviews strategies that governments can use to improve nutrition and health.
Looking for more?

We have pulled together evidence and experience to make it easy for you to find, understand and use the best available evidence and experience to stimulate public private action and investment for nutrition. 

Initiatives

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