Trade, Food, Diet and Health ─ Perspectives and Policy Options

The global shift towards overweight and obese populations has led to a significant rise in diet-related chronic illness. This book examines the role global food trade has played in that shift, looking carefully at how the trade of food across national borders, international and regional trade agreements, the process of trade and investment liberalization, and the growth of transnational food corporations affects what people eat and, by implication, their health.
An international team of editors has brought together a prestigious group of contributors who present a critical analysis of the linkages between trade, food and diet in different domains. Between them, the multidisciplinary group present a balanced perspective on the opportunities and risks trade poses for dietary trends and offer a practical analysis of the policy options available to address this growing global concern.
An international multidisciplinary team of authors
Detailed look at the issues followed by practical policy analysis
A comprehensive review of an important global issue
Academics, researchers and practitioners in the field of public health, especially those concerned with nutrition, obesity and chronic disease, will find this book an enlightening and fascinating read. Social scientists, policy makers, trade analysts and food industry professionals will equally gain much from this innovative approach to the subject.

Corinna Hawkes is an independent consultant specialising in the identification and analysis of policies needed to address the global shift towards unhealthy diets, obesity, and diet-related chronic diseases, and is a visiting fellow at the Centre for Food Policy, City University, London.
Chantal Blouin is Associate Director at the Centre for Trade Policy and Law, the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Canada.
Spencer Henson is a Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural & Resource Economics at the University of Guelph, Canada.
Nick Drager, former Director of the Department of Ethics, Equity, Trade and Human Rights at the World Health Organisation, is an Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Professor of Public Policy and Global Health Diplomacy at McGill University.
Laurette Dube is a Professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University and holds the James McGill Chair of consumer and lifestyle psychology and marketing.

List of Editors and Contributing Authors.
Acknowledgements.
PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW.
1 Trade, Health and Dietary Change (Chantal Blouin, Corinna Hawkes, Spencer Henson, Nick Drager and Laurette Dubé).
2 An Overview of Global Food Trade (Corinna Hawkes and Sophia Murphy).
PART 2: LINKS BETWEEN TRADE AND DIET.
3 The Influence of Trade Liberalisation and Global Dietary Change: The Case of Vegetable Oils, Meat and Highly Processed Foods (Corinna Hawkes).
4 Global Trade of Fruits and Vegetables and the Role of Consumer Demand (Sophia Huang).
5 International Trade, Food and Diet Costs, and the Global Obesity Epidemic (Adam Drewnowski, Andrew S. Hanks and Trenton G. Smith).
6 Trade, Transnational Corporations and Food Consumption: A Global Value Chain Approach (Gary Gereffi and Michelle Christian).
7 Links Between Supermarkets and Food Prices, Diet Diversity and Food Safety in Developing Countries (Thomas Reardon, Spencer Henson and Ashok Gulati).
8 The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy and the European Diet: Is There a Link? (Josef Schmidhuber and Prakash Shetty).
9 The Effect of Trade and Trade Policy on Diet and Health in the Pacific Islands (Anne Marie Thow and Wendy Snowdon).
10 Food Imports and Dietary Change: A Perspective from Thailand (W. Philip T. James, Nipa Rojroongwasinkul, Tashmai Rikshasuta and Emorn Wasantwisut).
PART 3: POLICY OPTIONS.
11 Tackling Childhood Obesity in an Era of Trade Liberalisation (Tim Lobstein).
12 National Food Regulations and the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures: Implications for Trade-Related Measures to Promote Healthy Diets (Tim Josling, David Orden and Donna Roberts).
13 The Potential of the Codex Alimentarius to Promote Healthy Diets Worldwide – the Canadian Experience of Implementation (Mary R. L'Abbé, Janine Lewis and Christina Zehaluk).
14 Agricultural Trade Policy Instruments to Promote Healthy Diets in Developing Countries: An Assessment of the Opportunities within the Framework of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and the Doha Development Agenda (Vincent J. Atkins).
15 The Impact of International Trade and Investment Rules on the Ability of Governments to Implement Interventions to Address Obesity: A Case Study from the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity (David P. Fidler).
Glossary of Trade Terms (Anne Marie Thow).
Index.