What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico
Background As part of a global policy response for addressing malnutrition, food system actions have been proposed. Within food system interventions, policies directed to supply chains have the potential to increase the availability and affordability of a healthy diet. This qualitative study aimed...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Kerman University of Medical Sciences
2022-11-01
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Series: | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
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Online Access: | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4172_d3c7475540c41fd98e355ed88fece074.pdf |
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author | Gloria Cervantes Anne-Marie Thow Luis Gómez-Oliver Luis Durán Arenas Carolina Pérez-Ferrer |
author_facet | Gloria Cervantes Anne-Marie Thow Luis Gómez-Oliver Luis Durán Arenas Carolina Pérez-Ferrer |
author_sort | Gloria Cervantes |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Background As part of a global policy response for addressing malnutrition, food system actions have been proposed. Within food system interventions, policies directed to supply chains have the potential to increase the availability and affordability of a healthy diet. This qualitative study aimed to identify opportunities to integrate nutrition as a priority into the food supply policy space in Mexico.Methods Data were collected through analysis of 19 policy documents and 20 semi-structured stakeholder interviews. As an analytical framework, we used policy space analysis and embedded the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and the steps of the food chain of the conceptual framework of food systems for diets and nutrition.Results Policy issues relevant to nutrition were viewed differently in the economic and agricultural sectors versus the health sector. Overall, the main policy objective related to nutrition within the economic and agricultural sectors was to contribute to food security in terms of food quantity. Nutrition was an objective in itself only in the health sector, with a focus on food quality. Our policy space analysis reveals an opportunity to promote a new integrated vision with the recent creation of an intersectoral group working on the public agenda for a food system transformation. This newer integrative narrative on food systems presents an opportunity to shift the existing food security narrative from quantity towards considerations of diet quality.Conclusion The political context and public agenda are favorable to pursue a food system transformation to deliver sustainable healthy diets. Mexico can provide a case study for other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for putting nutrition at the center of food policy, despite the ongoing constraints on achieving this. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:29:04Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-68dee6831eb643a6bdffac9a275c8c9c |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2322-5939 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:29:04Z |
publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
publisher | Kerman University of Medical Sciences |
record_format | Article |
series | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
spelling | doaj.art-68dee6831eb643a6bdffac9a275c8c9c2023-03-07T09:11:54ZengKerman University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Health Policy and Management2322-59392022-11-0111112451246310.34172/ijhpm.2021.1644172What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in MexicoGloria Cervantes0Anne-Marie Thow1Luis Gómez-Oliver2Luis Durán Arenas3Carolina Pérez-Ferrer4Master’s and Doctorate Program in Medical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, MexicoMenzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaFaculty of Economics, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, MexicoDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, MexicoCenter for Research in Nutrition and Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MexicoBackground As part of a global policy response for addressing malnutrition, food system actions have been proposed. Within food system interventions, policies directed to supply chains have the potential to increase the availability and affordability of a healthy diet. This qualitative study aimed to identify opportunities to integrate nutrition as a priority into the food supply policy space in Mexico.Methods Data were collected through analysis of 19 policy documents and 20 semi-structured stakeholder interviews. As an analytical framework, we used policy space analysis and embedded the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and the steps of the food chain of the conceptual framework of food systems for diets and nutrition.Results Policy issues relevant to nutrition were viewed differently in the economic and agricultural sectors versus the health sector. Overall, the main policy objective related to nutrition within the economic and agricultural sectors was to contribute to food security in terms of food quantity. Nutrition was an objective in itself only in the health sector, with a focus on food quality. Our policy space analysis reveals an opportunity to promote a new integrated vision with the recent creation of an intersectoral group working on the public agenda for a food system transformation. This newer integrative narrative on food systems presents an opportunity to shift the existing food security narrative from quantity towards considerations of diet quality.Conclusion The political context and public agenda are favorable to pursue a food system transformation to deliver sustainable healthy diets. Mexico can provide a case study for other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for putting nutrition at the center of food policy, despite the ongoing constraints on achieving this.https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4172_d3c7475540c41fd98e355ed88fece074.pdffood systemfood policypolicy analysisdietmalnutritionmexico |
spellingShingle | Gloria Cervantes Anne-Marie Thow Luis Gómez-Oliver Luis Durán Arenas Carolina Pérez-Ferrer What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico International Journal of Health Policy and Management food system food policy policy analysis diet malnutrition mexico |
title | What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico |
title_full | What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico |
title_fullStr | What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico |
title_full_unstemmed | What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico |
title_short | What Opportunities Exist for Making the Food Supply Nutrition Friendly? A Policy Space Analysis in Mexico |
title_sort | what opportunities exist for making the food supply nutrition friendly a policy space analysis in mexico |
topic | food system food policy policy analysis diet malnutrition mexico |
url | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4172_d3c7475540c41fd98e355ed88fece074.pdf |
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