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