Business

SHAPE-Asia: Hand in hand for healthier diets and lasting change worldwide

Published

3 months ago

2025/10/21

In 2024, an estimated 31.9% of the global population struggled to afford a healthy diet, including 28.1% in Asia and a concerning 42.9% in Sri Lanka. Moreover, unhealthy diets around the world are believed to be behind more than a quarter of all deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with 11 million NCD deaths per year due to poor eating habits. These alarming numbers underscore the urgency of reshaping our food environments and improving access to healthy diets.

A key part of building healthier diets is creating better food environments. Food environments are the physical, economic, political, and socio-cultural contexts that influence how people decide to acquire, prepare, and consume food. What we eat each day is shaped by many factors. On a personal level, it comes down to whether food is easily accessible, affordable, convenient, and appealing. There are also broader influences, such as food prices, market availability, advertising, and government policies and regulations. When these pieces come together to make healthy foods easier to buy and more attractive to eat, people are more likely to choose them. By enhancing food environments, we can significantly impact not only individual health but also community well-being.

Sunimalee Madurawala

However, global food markets continue to face persistent challenges stemming from weather issues, geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions, macroeconomic conditions, and climate change. In addition to these challenges, the way food is marketed and sold often makes adhering to healthy diets even more difficult. Global food retail environments are increasingly dominated by large chains; a direct link to the rising prevalence of obesity. Meanwhile, food marketing heavily promotes unhealthy items, such as fast food, sugary drinks, chocolates, and confectionery, using persuasive tactics designed to attract attention, especially among children and young people. A recent study in South Asia found that nearly 75% of adults in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and North India reported consuming ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed products made up 13-17% of total energy intake in those countries. Ultra-processed foods contain many additives uncommon in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial flavours. Made to last longer on shelves, they tend to be high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, displacing healthier foods in our diets.

Ensuring access to nutritious, affordable food is not just a personal challenge but a global priority that demands collective solutions. This is where the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) plays a crucial role. FAO continues to lead global efforts to end hunger, achieve food security, and improve nutrition in all its forms. This includes promoting nutritious food and making healthy diets more accessible to everyone. Every October 16, people worldwide celebrate World Food Day (WFD). Going beyond just a symbolic date, WFD serves as a call to action, bringing the world together to acknowledge the importance of developing healthier food systems and establishing supportive policy environments to build and maintain these systems.

Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future

This year, WFD is celebrated under the theme Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future. At its core, the theme emphasises working together to create food environments that make “better foods”, that is, healthy diets, a reality for all.

Today, food environments are deeply interconnected. What is produced in one country often ends up on the plates of another. Trade policies, advertising, supply chains, and consumer preferences cross borders, influencing diets across entire regions. This interconnectedness means no country can address the challenges of creating healthy food environments in isolation. Regional collaboration is key to promoting healthier diets. By collaborating through knowledge sharing, aligning policies, and taking collective action, countries can influence their food environments to ensure healthy diets are more accessible, affordable, and appealing. In South and Southeast Asia, where unhealthy diets are a growing concern, collaboration can spark region-specific solutions, build skills, and drive forward joint action. Through these efforts, countries can create food environments that support healthier choices and improve the health of millions.

SHAPE-Asia: Building a Regional Community of Practice to Unite Asian Nations for Healthier Food Systems and Policy Environments

In this context, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) has joined a new regional initiative called SHAPE-Asia, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. SHAPE-Asia brings together stakeholders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka to build a collaborative learning network focused on healthier food environments. By connecting policymakers, researchers, government agencies, the media, civil society, the private sector, and business, SHAPE-Asia is creating a dynamic platform for peer exchange, joint research, and collective advocacy. Its key goals include strengthening networks, generating region-specific knowledge, engaging in policy dialogue, building capacity, and ultimately influencing policies to support healthier diets.

SHAPE Asia: Key Objectives

By working hand in hand with other countries, SHAPE-Asia brings valuable opportunities for Sri Lanka in building a healthy food environment. Through this collaboration, Sri Lanka can learn from successful food policies in the region, while also sharing its own experiences. It opens doors for our researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to connect with others facing similar challenges. Most importantly, this partnership will help us find practical solutions that are not only backed by research but also tailored to our local needs, making healthy and affordable food more accessible to everyone.

As we celebrate WFD 2025 under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” the SHAPE-Asia initiative offers a powerful opportunity to drive lasting change. For Sri Lanka, it means not only learning from the region but also sharing our own strengths and shaping solutions that truly meet the needs of our people. By joining hands across borders to share knowledge, build skills, and translate research into practice, we can create food environments that make healthy, affordable, and sustainable diets a reality. The future of food is in our hands, and together we can shape it for the better.

by Sunimalee Madurawala

All News Advertisement

Business

Beira Lake restoration, ‘a crucial urban environmental intervention’

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/21

Thilina Walpola

The Beira Lake; in for a clean-up

Sri Lanka’s decision to invest Rs. 2.5 billion in restoring the heavily polluted Beira Lake marks one of the most significant urban environmental interventions in recent years, underscoring a growing recognition that ecological rehabilitation is also an economic imperative.

The multi-pronged project—covering the closure of illegal sewage discharge points, large-scale dredging, and the installation of aeration systems—is expected to not only revive aquatic life but also unlock commercial, tourism and real estate value in the heart of Colombo.

Officials say the initiative is designed to transform Beira Lake from a long-neglected liability into a productive urban asset.

A senior official from the Ministry of Environment told The Island Financial Review that untreated wastewater and illegal sewer connections had been the primary contributors to the lake’s degradation for decades. “Closing these illegal sewage points is the most critical intervention. Without that, any dredging or aeration would only offer temporary relief, the official said, adding that enforcement will be carried out in coordination with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and other regulatory agencies.

From a business perspective, the clean-up is being viewed as a catalyst for urban regeneration. Urban Development Authority (UDA) sources noted that a healthier Beira Lake would significantly enhance the attractiveness of surrounding commercial developments, hospitality projects and public spaces. “Environmental remediation directly impacts land values and investor confidence. A clean, living lake changes the entire economic profile of the area, an UDA official said.

The dredging component of the project is aimed at removing decades of accumulated sludge, which has reduced water depth and contributed to foul odours and fish die-offs. According to officials involved in project planning, the dredged material will be disposed of following environmental guidelines to avoid secondary pollution risks—an issue that has undermined similar efforts in the past.

Meanwhile, the installation of modern aerators is expected to improve dissolved oxygen levels, a key requirement for sustaining fish and other aquatic organisms. “Restoring aquatic life is not just about biodiversity; it is about creating a water body that can safely support recreational activities and public engagement, a senior CMC engineer explained.

Economists point out that the Rs. 2.5 billion allocation, while substantial, should be seen against the long-term cost savings and revenue potential. Reduced public health risks, lower water treatment costs downstream, increased tourism activity and higher commercial footfall could deliver returns that far exceed the initial outlay.

By Ifham Nizam

Business

Expectation of positive Q3 corporate results jerks bourse to life

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/21

Thilina Walpola

CSE activities kicked off on a negative note initially but later experienced some recovery yesterday because most investors were anticipating positive third quarter result shortly, market analysts said.

Amid those developments, the market indicated mixed reactions. The All Share Price Index went down by 4.13 points, while the S and P SL20 rose by 14.02 points. Turnover stood at Rs 5.17 billion with 11 crossings.

Top seven crossings were reported in Renuka Holdings where eight million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 324 million; its shares traded at Rs 40.50, Tokyo Cement one million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 113 million; its shares traded at Rs 113, Distilleries 1.85 million shares crossed for Rs 111 million; its shares traded at Rs 60, ACL Cables 500,000 shares crossed for Rs 51.5 million, its shares sold at Rs 103 Chevron Lubricants 250,000 shares crossed for Rs 47.5 million; its shares traded at Rs 190, Ambeon Capital 738600 shares crossed at Rs 40.50 each and Melstacope 150,000 shares crossed for Rs 27 million; its shares traded at Rs 180.

In the retail market top seven companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Colombo Dockyard Rs 1.26 billion (12 million shares traded), ACL Cables Rs 348 million (3.3 million shares traded), HNB (Non-Voting) Rs 152 million (425,000 shares traded), Hayleys Rs 109 million (507,000 shares traded), Tokyo Cement (Non-Voting) Rs 94 million (989,000 shares traded) Lanka Realty Investments Rs 80 million (1.6 million shares traded) and Sampath Bank Rs 77 million (498,000 shares traded). During the day 135 million share volumes changed hands in 38398 transactions.

It is said that manufacturing sector counters, especially Tokyo Cement and ACL Cables, performed well. Further, Colombo Dockyard became the most preferred share for investors. The Banking sector also performed well.

Browns Beach Hotels said that the company will delist from the CSE, having made arrangements with majority shareholders Melstacope and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings to buy back shares from minority shareholders at an exit offer price of Rs 30.

Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 309.75/85 to the US dollar in the spot market, from Rs 309.72/77 the previous day, having depreciated in recent weeks, dealers said, while bond yields were down.

A bond maturing on 15.05.2026 was quoted at 8.25/35 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.02.2028 was quoted at 9.00/10 percent, down from 9.05/10 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.12.2029 was quoted at 9.65/70 percent, up from 9.65/69 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.03.2030 was quoted at 9.72/75 percent, from 9.70/76 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.03.2031 was quoted at 9.95/10.00 percent, down from 10.00/10 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.10.2032 was quoted at 10.30/50 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.06.2033 was quoted at 10.72/75 percent, down from 10.70/80 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.06.2035 closed at 11.05/10 percent, down from 11.07/11 percent.

The telegraphic transfer rates for the American dollar were 306.2500 buying, 313.2500 selling; the British pound was 409.9898 buying, and 421.3080 selling, and the euro was 354.1773 buying, 365.5655 selling.

By Hiran H Senewiratne

Business

Ceylon Theatres and British Council present National Theatre Live’s ‘Hamlet’

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/21

Thilina Walpola

Ceylon Theatres Limited, in partnership with British Council, is proud to present the first ever screening of National Theatre (NT) Live’s Hamlet starring Hiran Abeysekara in Asia. The first screening will happen at Regal Cinema in Dematagoda (Colombo 9) at 5:30 pm on Sunday, 25 January. Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera stars in the title role—the first Asian actor to play Hamlet in a National Theatre production.

For Sri Lankan audiences, this screening is both a celebration and a homecoming. It reflects the British Council’s long-standing commitment to nurturing creative talent, widening access to world-class culture, and building deep, people-to-people connections between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom through theatre and the creative arts. To celebrate the inaugural screening, the British Council is inviting winners and runners-up of the All-Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition, alongside drama teachers and university actors, to attend the premiere.

Further details on screening dates, venues, and ticketing can be found at: https://ceylontheatres.com/ and on the British Council Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/britishcouncilsrilanka/ or call: 0766192370