9.A. Round table: From science to reality: the potential of food environments as a gamechanger

Food environments have the potential to shift our food system towards a health-oriented system that puts the health of people and planet at its core. Today, however, food systems and dietary patterns are unsustainable, as unhealthy diets have become the leading cause of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and premature deaths in the European Union (EU). The over-reliance of the EU on individual consumer responsibility, expecting them to make healthy and sustainable food choices in an environment where unhealthy food is ubiquitous and heavily promoted, particularly to children, has proven largely ineffective to shift diets at population level. Consumers are constantly influenced by the context in which they purchase food and which shapes their choices towards calory-dense and high in fat, sugar and salt foods (HFSS). Understood as the “physical, economic, political and socio-cultural context in which consumers engage with the food system to make their decisions about acquiring, preparing and consuming food” (HLPE, 2017), food environments should be reconfigured so that healthy and sustainable choices become easier and more likely. This will not only promote better health for all, but also contribute to the transition towards a greener economy, offering opportunities within the food system. This workshop aims to explore the potential of food environments as a gamechanger for promoting better health for all and thereby assess the potential of the EU's Farm to Fork Strategy (2020) and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (2021) as they relate to the prevention of obesity and other-diet related diseases. The first presentation will consider the implications of the commercial determinants of health in the degradation of food environments, highlighting that the European Union and its Member States can no longer delegate the responsibility to promote health for all to private sector actors. The second presentation will reflect on the scientific research on food environments and consumer behaviour. The third presentation will provide a compendium of public policies that, together, could contribute to the promotion of healthier food environments. The fourth presentation will consider specifically the regulation of food marketing to children to protect them from its established harmful impact. It will conclude with a roundtable discussion KEY MESSAGES: • Food environments should be shaped in a way that the sustainable and healthy food choice is the most affordable, accessible, and attractive, especially for children and vulnerable groups. • Food environments have the potential to prevent NCDs and create sustainable and healthy diets. Governments should assume their regulatory duties and offer protection from vested interests and CDoH. SPEAKERS/PANELISTS: Stefanie Vandevijvere Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium Alba Gil European Public Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium Emma Calvert BEUC, Brussels, Belgium