Annex 4 Report of a meeting held in Surgeon's Hall, Edinburgh, 2 nd March 2009
Workstream 2 To work with the food & drink industry to enable and support consumers to make healthier and more sustainable choices.
Aims:
- To explore the opportunities, limitations and barriers for influencing consumer food (and drink) choices by partnership working.
- To consider approaches involving government, private and voluntary sectors, success and challenges.
- To consider the potential of regulatory influences on consumer choices.
Objectives:
- A critique of the potential of partnership approaches for changing food and drink behaviours
- Regulatory incentives and disincentives based on food composition/sustainability criteria
Presentations:
- Dr Corinna Hawkes, freelance consultant on food policy issues: "Partnerships between the public & private sector for diet-related health: issues, examples, & winning ways"
- Prof Iain Crombie, University of Dundee: "Partnerships, opportunities and challenges - alcohol, Health, economics and national well-being"
- Alan Stevenson ( SAOS) and Alan Hardie (Paterson Arran): "Partnership approaches in the food industry - win/wins for health and the economy?"
- Prof Gerard Hastings (University of Stirling and OU): "Government regulation on marketing - beyond tv advertising; beyond voluntary approaches"
- Colin Mclean, Chief Officer Scotmid: " Encouraging healthy and sustainable choices at retail level."
Discussion
Partnership working- general issues
Dr Corinna Hawkes provided a framework for understanding the benefits and risks associated with partnership working, and indeed the basis upon which good partnerships can be built. Having an understanding of exactly what we want from our partnerships, and the 'terms of engagement' between partners is crucial.
It was suggested that the risks to the public and voluntary sector in forming partnerships with industry include the possible manipulation of the partnership by the private sector, resulting in a loss of legitimacy with key constituencies.
Risks for the private sector could be a less favourable competitive environment e.g. sector-wide partnership approach undermining the competitive advantage to be gained from single company initiatives, and a reputational risk if partnership fails.
Crucially an initiative could lose sight of public health objectives because the "partnership" becomes an end in itself.
In order for the partnerships to work, clear objectives for each party, within a strategic framework are required. According to Dr Hawkes, analysis of global health partnerships suggests that "successful partnerships have clear and specific objectives, and clear objective setting processes".
Dr Hawkes suggests that we approach food, health and sustainability issues by asking a key question: "What are our objectives, and will engagement with the private/public sector help achieve them? (rather than "how can we partner with the public/private sector"?)"
Partnership working - context
The Scottish Government has a partnership with the alcohol industry (The Scottish Government Alcohol Industry Partnership). This was set up in 2007 and intended both to tackle irresponsible retailing, and to promote positive behaviours 41. Other ways of reducing alcohol related harm was explored at the meeting, with evidence presented suggesting clear links between unit price and sales; between raising age limits for sales and binge drinking in young people; and a increased incidence of road fatalities with lowered drinking age. Discussions followed on the geographic impact of alcohol misuse in Scotland, and the degree to which alcohol itself can be held responsible for the problems presented.
An analysis of the roles that statutory and voluntary measures can play was undertaken. Marketing can support and 'social norm' behaviours which can then be supported by statutory measures. We can for example, learn from work that has been done on tobacco controls. A combination of 'market correcting' measures - such as the polluter pays -and a principle based approach, rather than compliance, might be a basis to move on.
There are numerous partnerships involving Government and Industry in the food area - including the Scottish Agricultural Organisations Society (providing advice to member organisations). An analysis of how current partnerships are delivering, or could deliver on food, health and sustainability issues would be useful in determining next steps.
Other measures have of course been adopted by industry to try and influence consumer behaviours. For example, the Co-op supermarket group have developed a nutrient profile model to help ensure that at least 25% of their food promotions are healthier. Similarly, Patterson-Arran biscuit manufacturers are reformulating products to reduce saturated fat content (e.g. non butter, non palm oil shortbread), as are other businesses. However there can be little competitive advantage in sharing technological advances with other manufacturers, and this issue informs the debate when looking at statutory and voluntary measures intended to improve public health or sustainability profiles.
References
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