Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, par. 63 and par. 64 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) (2014)

Text of the recommendation

63. In keeping with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to health, States should formulate and implement a national public health strategy and plan of action to address diet-related NCDs, which should be widely disseminated. Such a strategy should recognize the link between unhealthy foods and NCDs, while specifically addressing the structural flaws in food production, marketing and retail that promote the availability and accessibility of unhealthy foods over healthier options. Towards this end, States should necessarily develop multisectoral approaches that include all relevant ministries such as ministries of health, agriculture, finance, industry and trade. States should also ensure meaningful and effective participation of affected communities such as farmers and vulnerable groups like children, women and low-income groups in all levels of decision-making to discourage production and consumption of unhealthy foods and promote the availability and accessibility of healthier food options.

64. With a view to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the right to health, the Special Rapporteur recommends that States take the following steps:

(a) Increase availability and accessibility of healthier food alternatives through fiscal and agricultural policies that discourage production of unhealthy foods. Also take measures to incentivize farmers to grow healthier products;

(b) Make nutritious and healthy foods available and geographically and economically accessible, especially to low-income groups;

(c) Provide information about the ill effects of unhealthy foods and raise awareness of the benefits of balanced diets and healthy foods to promote consumption of healthier foods;

(d) Adopt, implement and enforce easy-to-understand labelling and nutritional profiling requirements, such as “traffic light” labelling;

(e) Encourage TNCs, through incentives and other fiscal measures, to manufacture and sell healthier alternatives of foods and beverages that are not harmful to the people’s health;

(f) Regulate the marketing, advertisement and promotion of unhealthy foods, particularly to women and children, to reduce their visibility and to increase the visibility of healthier options by, for instance, requiring supermarkets to place fruits and vegetables in more accessible and visible places.