107. Supporting the Next Generation of Healthy Food Policy Experts

Follow the Data Podcast

The pandemic has forced many to change their diet and exercise routines - and governments around the world are weighing how to encourage citizens to eat healthier and to get active again. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reviewing a report recommending a Salt and Sugar Reformation Tax, a first-of-its-kind policy which would add a 3 pound tax per kilogram of sugar sold at wholesale and 6 pounds per kilogram of salt sold at wholesale. If enacted, the tax would help fund an expansion of free school meals to 1.1 million more children in Britain. Healthy food policies help move more people toward healthier diets - but a lack of research expertise is a barrier to guiding national policies in countries around the world. The Vital Strategies Health Food Policy Fellowship, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, supports outstanding PhD candidates from Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, or South Africa who are committed to creating healthier food environments through public policy. The fellowship supports students from these countries as they are focus countries for Bloomberg Philanthropies' food policy program. Ahead of UN International Youth Day, Kristine Momanyi of our food policy team sits down with Trish Muzenda, Joana Cruz, and Nicholas Guzman - three Vital Strategies Healthy Food Policy Fellows - to discuss promising food policies and the fellowship program.