Strengthening trade policies for improving healthy diets
11/11/2023
The FAO Liaison Office in Geneva organized the FAO in Geneva Agriculture Trade Talks ‘The role of trade and trade policy for better nutrition’ to elaborate on the trade policy space for better nutrition and explore how domestic support, trade policies, and related policy instruments can contribute to enabling healthy diet consumption and improving nutrition.
To set the scene, Andrea Zimmermann, Economist of the FAO Markets and Trade Division (EST), presented on trade and sustainability and how nutrition fits into the context. She highlighted the critical role of food and agriculture trade in sustainable development, citing its linkage to economic growth, interaction with the environment, connection to broader globalization patterns, and potential repercussions on society and health.
Trade policy's vital role to nutrition and food security
During the Trade Talk, Anne Marie Thow, Associate Professor of the Public Policy and Health, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health of the University of Sydney,presented a technical overview of the trade policy space for better nutrition. She emphasized the role of promotion of trade in goods and services, and foreign investment as two primary pathways impacting nutrition outcomes. She concluded by stating that improving trade policy space and policy coherence for better nutrition requires the involvement of action from both the trade and nutrition policy communities and actions at national and global levels.
Gracia Brisco, Codex officer of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva explained CODEX mandate considers both trade and health objectives by protecting consumer health and ensuring fair trade policies. She explained the CODEX Work on Technical Barriers to Trade issues and provided vital examples of adopted guidelines. Brisco highlighted the rising importance of nutrition in sustainable agrifood systems and emphasized integrating nutritional aspects into commodity standards without compromising food safety objectives.
Marcy Vigoda, Director of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat, outlined priorities for realizing the right to food and nutrition, achieving societal prosperity, and meeting SDG targets. She emphasized the role of trade in the "nutrition transition" and its potential impact on these goals. Vigoda acknowledged that while trade isn't the most direct approach to address malnutrition, it should be considered as part of the solution and highlighted the SUN Movement's role in integrating trade aspects to address nutrition priorities.
James Breithaupt, Agriculture Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the World Trade Organization (WTO), shared Canada’s perspective on how international trade influences nutrition, how trade policies can contribute to the consumption of healthy diets, and the improvement of nutrition and accelerate the achievement of SDGs. He highlighted that considering the current situation, trade and trade policies cannot be put aside and therefore reiterated the importance of open, rules-based and predictable agrifood markets in addressing food and nutrition security challenges.
Concluding the dialogue, Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer of the FAO Food and Nutrition Division, emphasized the significance of trade and trade policies for ensuring food security and diverse food products. Hachem also highlighted potential negative impacts, such as increased availability of processed food, underscoring the need for data to assess concrete effects and advocating for dietary guidelines and education in informing trade policies.
FAO Geneva Trade Talk series
The FAO Liaison Office in Geneva organizes technical dialogues under the FAO in Geneva Trade Talks series (FAO in Geneva Agriculture Trade Talks and FAO in Geneva Fisheries Trade Talks) in collaboration with the Markets and Trade Division (EST) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI). These events aim to inform trade stakeholders, in Geneva and beyond, on timely issues in relation to agriculture and trade, showcase the analytic work of FAO and provide factual input to Members on issues that could be relevant to ongoing discussions.
To set the scene, Andrea Zimmermann, Economist of the FAO Markets and Trade Division (EST), presented on trade and sustainability and how nutrition fits into the context. She highlighted the critical role of food and agriculture trade in sustainable development, citing its linkage to economic growth, interaction with the environment, connection to broader globalization patterns, and potential repercussions on society and health.
Trade policy's vital role to nutrition and food security
During the Trade Talk, Anne Marie Thow, Associate Professor of the Public Policy and Health, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health of the University of Sydney,presented a technical overview of the trade policy space for better nutrition. She emphasized the role of promotion of trade in goods and services, and foreign investment as two primary pathways impacting nutrition outcomes. She concluded by stating that improving trade policy space and policy coherence for better nutrition requires the involvement of action from both the trade and nutrition policy communities and actions at national and global levels.
Gracia Brisco, Codex officer of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva explained CODEX mandate considers both trade and health objectives by protecting consumer health and ensuring fair trade policies. She explained the CODEX Work on Technical Barriers to Trade issues and provided vital examples of adopted guidelines. Brisco highlighted the rising importance of nutrition in sustainable agrifood systems and emphasized integrating nutritional aspects into commodity standards without compromising food safety objectives.
Marcy Vigoda, Director of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat, outlined priorities for realizing the right to food and nutrition, achieving societal prosperity, and meeting SDG targets. She emphasized the role of trade in the "nutrition transition" and its potential impact on these goals. Vigoda acknowledged that while trade isn't the most direct approach to address malnutrition, it should be considered as part of the solution and highlighted the SUN Movement's role in integrating trade aspects to address nutrition priorities.
James Breithaupt, Agriculture Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the World Trade Organization (WTO), shared Canada’s perspective on how international trade influences nutrition, how trade policies can contribute to the consumption of healthy diets, and the improvement of nutrition and accelerate the achievement of SDGs. He highlighted that considering the current situation, trade and trade policies cannot be put aside and therefore reiterated the importance of open, rules-based and predictable agrifood markets in addressing food and nutrition security challenges.
Concluding the dialogue, Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer of the FAO Food and Nutrition Division, emphasized the significance of trade and trade policies for ensuring food security and diverse food products. Hachem also highlighted potential negative impacts, such as increased availability of processed food, underscoring the need for data to assess concrete effects and advocating for dietary guidelines and education in informing trade policies.
FAO Geneva Trade Talk series
The FAO Liaison Office in Geneva organizes technical dialogues under the FAO in Geneva Trade Talks series (FAO in Geneva Agriculture Trade Talks and FAO in Geneva Fisheries Trade Talks) in collaboration with the Markets and Trade Division (EST) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI). These events aim to inform trade stakeholders, in Geneva and beyond, on timely issues in relation to agriculture and trade, showcase the analytic work of FAO and provide factual input to Members on issues that could be relevant to ongoing discussions.