A.11. Scientific session: Learning from success through co-designed policy analysis to promote healthy and sustainable diets
Abstract
Unhealthy food systems – spanning food production through to trade, marketing and retail – are a major driver of unhealthy diets, and consequently a major contributor to NCDs as well as negative climate impacts. Although we have clear evidence on ‘what works’, recommended nutrition policies have proved challenging to progress globally, partly due to their impact on the food system and the associated commercial interests and economic imperatives related to employment and trade. However, governments are also taking policy action, albeit often partially. This workshop adds value by synthesising lessons from experiences of successful policy design, coordination and implementation - including how challenges are overcome - to inform policy action in the future. This workshop’s objectives are to share experiences and findings from research conducted in partnership with the WHO European Regional Office for Europe and three Australian government partners to directly address this gap. Six multi-country research case studies of policy success were conducted using rigorous political science methodologies, co-designed with policy makers. These analyses found that key factors included: institutional structures that support information flows and dialogues between key policy sectors and NGOs, regional frameworks, champions within and outside of government, managing stakeholder engagement, strategic framing and policy design addressing feasibility considerations at all levels of implementation. FORMATThe workshop will include 4 x 6-minute scientific presentations addressing:• Features of ongoing co-design and partnership that enable the research to address critical policy questions;• Characteristics of policy success – and enabling factors - across public food procurement, food systems governance, digital marketing restrictions, fiscal policy and health-sensitive trade policy; and• How drawing on political science theories on policy learning enabled analysis that informs future policy success and scale up in the case study countries and elsewhere. The final presentation from WHO-EURO (10 mins) will provide a Partner perspective on the co-design research process, and the impact and implications of this research for the Region. Participants will then engage in a facilitated 20-minute discussion of how to develop and operationalise effective co-design approaches for policy research that aims to strengthen public health policies. Participants will share experiences and learnings via interactive online activities using mentimeter. The structured discussion format will address research proposal co-design, engaging policy Partners throughout the research protocol development, data collection and analysis, and co-design of diverse outputs, dissemination and translation. The workshop outcome will be a summary of shared learnings and experience that can inform partnership-based policy research moving forward (5 min closing summary + email for participants)
Key messages: • Our research shows policy success in food systems is driven by institutions, framing and partnerships—not just evidence—revealing how governments can overcome barriers to implement nutrition policy.
• Our research shows co-designed research with policymakers generates actionable insights, strengthening the feasibility, uptake and scale-up of healthy and sustainable food system policies.
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BibTeX
@article{whoeurope2026scientific,
title = {{A.11. Scientific session: Learning from success through co-designed policy analysis to promote healthy and sustainable diets}},
author = {WHO/Europe, University of Sydney (Australia) and Erica Reeve},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.591},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.591},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A.11. Scientific session: Learning from success through co-designed policy analysis to promote healthy and sustainable diets
AU - WHO/Europe, University of Sydney (Australia)
AU - Erica Reeve
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.591
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.591
AB - Unhealthy food systems – spanning food production through to trade, marketing and retail – are a major driver of unhealthy diets, and consequently a major contributor to NCDs as well as negative climate impacts. Although we have clear evidence on ‘what works’, recommended nutrition policies have proved challenging to progress globally, partly due to their impact on the food system and the associated commercial interests and economic imperatives related to employment and trade. However, governments are also taking policy action, albeit often partially. This workshop adds value by synthesising lessons from experiences of successful policy design, coordination and implementation - including how challenges are overcome - to inform policy action in the future. This workshop’s objectives are to share experiences and findings from research conducted in partnership with the WHO European Regional Office for Europe and three Australian government partners to directly address this gap. Six multi-country research case studies of policy success were conducted using rigorous political science methodologies, co-designed with policy makers. These analyses found that key factors included: institutional structures that support information flows and dialogues between key policy sectors and NGOs, regional frameworks, champions within and outside of government, managing stakeholder engagement, strategic framing and policy design addressing feasibility considerations at all levels of implementation. FORMATThe workshop will include 4 x 6-minute scientific presentations addressing:• Features of ongoing co-design and partnership that enable the research to address critical policy questions;• Characteristics of policy success – and enabling factors - across public food procurement, food systems governance, digital marketing restrictions, fiscal policy and health-sensitive trade policy; and• How drawing on political science theories on policy learning enabled analysis that informs future policy success and scale up in the case study countries and elsewhere. The final presentation from WHO-EURO (10 mins) will provide a Partner perspective on the co-design research process, and the impact and implications of this research for the Region. Participants will then engage in a facilitated 20-minute discussion of how to develop and operationalise effective co-design approaches for policy research that aims to strengthen public health policies. Participants will share experiences and learnings via interactive online activities using mentimeter. The structured discussion format will address research proposal co-design, engaging policy Partners throughout the research protocol development, data collection and analysis, and co-design of diverse outputs, dissemination and translation. The workshop outcome will be a summary of shared learnings and experience that can inform partnership-based policy research moving forward (5 min closing summary + email for participants) Key messages: • Our research shows policy success in food systems is driven by institutions, framing and partnerships—not just evidence—revealing how governments can overcome barriers to implement nutrition policy. • Our research shows co-designed research with policymakers generates actionable insights, strengthening the feasibility, uptake and scale-up of healthy and sustainable food system policies.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -