Barriers and Facilitators to the Development and Implementation of Public Policies Addressing Food Systems in Five Sub-Saharan African Countries and Five of Their Cities
نویسندگان
1 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
2 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
3 Laboratoire de Biochimie des Aliments et Nutrition, University of Kara, Kara, Togo
4 Université Alassane Ouattara (UAO), Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
5 Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Kampala, Uganda
6 Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Kampala, Uganda
7 Université Alassane Ouattara (UAO), Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
8 Regional Institute of Public Health, Université of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Ouidah, Benin
9 Regional Institute of Public Health, Université of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Ouidah, Benin
10 Laboratoire des Sciences Biologiques, Agronomiques, Alimentaires et de Modélisation des Systèmes Complexes (LABAAM), Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis, Senegal
11 Department of geosciences, environment and society, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
12 Laboratoire de Recherche en Nutrition et Alimentation Humaine (LARNAH), Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
13 Université Alassane Ouattara (UAO), Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
14 Laboratoire de Recherche en Nutrition et Alimentation Humaine (LARNAH), Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
15 Laboratoire de Biochimie des Aliments et Nutrition, University of Kara, Kara, Togo
16 Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Kampala, Uganda
17 Department of Nutrition, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
18 Regional Institute of Public Health, Université of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Ouidah, Benin
19 Laboratoire de Biochimie des Aliments et Nutrition, University of Kara, Kara, Togo
doi
10.34172/ijhpm.8592چکیده
Background There is increasing recognition of the role governments play in addressing the health and environmental sustainability challenges within current food systems. This study seeks to understand food system policies designed and/or implemented by selected national and local governments in Africa, and the barriers and facilitators faced when designing or implementing policies to create healthy and environmentally sustainable food systems. Methods From an evidence-based list of proposed policies with double- or triple-duty potential to achieve healthy and environmentally sustainable food systems, a policy mapping was performed in five African countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda) and one city in each of these countries (Ouidah, Bouaké, Saint-Louis, Sokodé, and Mbale). Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with policy stakeholders. The interview data were analysed in NVivo 14 using the thematic framework analysis approach, informed by the Health Policy Triangle (HPT). Results The mapping showed that African countries have designed and implemented policies that simultaneously address food insecurity and climate change, mainly through food production policies. Within food environments, countries are focussing on interventions to prevent obesity, mainly food provision or food pricing policies. However, many policy gaps remain. Several technical and political barriers were commonly experienced when designing and implementing food system policies, regardless of the jurisdiction, context or region, such as insufficient financial resources, lack of political will, limited data, and inadequate monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. The major facilitators perceived were supportive public opinion and awareness, international agreements, sound agenda-setting, multi-sector and multistakeholder consultations and partnerships, availability of both financial resources and data, and solid political will. Conclusion This article gives an overview of policies designed and implemented to achieve sustainable food systems, highlighting a strong focus through agriculture on undernutrition and climate change objectives. It also identifies their potential legislative, financial, and practical barriers and facilitators.
