How healthy eating policies in Australia are being sponsored by the meat and sugar industries
Australian diets consisting of low intakes of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and excessive consumption of red/processed meat and ultra-processed foods are resulting in high rates of diet-related non-communicable diseases accounting for an estimated 87% of deaths annually (Machado, et al., 2020; Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022).
The burden of disease has significant economic and social ramiifications, with costs of $120 billion (AUD) annually due to a loss of productivity and well-being (Martin, 2018).
As well as poor dietary patterns being a leading risk factor for Australia’s burden of disease, environmental degradation e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion and biodiversity loss (WHO, 2021; Ridoutt, et al., 2021).
Policy actions are needed to reduce the availability and affordability of food that is detrimental for human and planetary health. However, to date, Australia has limited policy actions regarding food to reduce noncommunicable disease rates and protect the environment (Baker, et al. 2017).
Most policy actions that have been implemented are voluntary rather than mandatory and policy making has been influenced by substantial donations made to political parties from harmful commodity industries, ranging from $1 million donated by the tobacco industry (2005-2015) to $7 million from the alcohol industry.
The prevalence and impact of political donations from the food industry are under investigated. Documents analysed in 2013 and 2014 demonstrate donations of $55000 from Coca-Cola to Australian political parties, while a major Australian supermarket chain donated more than $35,000!
Russell, et al's., (2023) research found that The Liberal National Party (LNP) and The Australian Labor Party both raccepted substantial donations from the meat and sugar industry in recent times and concluded that few policies exist to protect and improve human and planetary health.
Russell, C., Hussain, N.A.B., Sievert, K. and Cullerton, K., 2023. Who is donating to political parties in Queensland, Australia? An analysis of political donations from the food industry. Public Health Nutrition, 26(7), pp.1501-1512.
