Stakeholder Consultation on Children’s Nutrition rights through Package food Labelling

 

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Stakeholder Consultation on

Children’s Nutrition rights through Package food Labelling

&

Launch of

 

 PIPAL (People’s Initiative for Participatory Action on food Labelling) Network


Date: 5th October 2021 Time: 4:00 pm onward with High Tea 

Venue: Hotel Diamond, Bhelupur Varanasi,

 

Organized By

People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Foundation of Sustainable Development India and Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat

And

Supported by

Campaign against Child Labour (CACL), Asha Trust and Bunkar Dastakar Adhikar Manch

Background & Context:

The Stakeholder Consultation on Children’s right to Nutrition through package food labelling aims to improve National standards on nutrition and highlights Front-of-Pack Labelling (FoPL) as a way to create enabling environments where parents as consumers are able to make better informed, healthier food choices for themselves and their children. Poor diet is responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other risk factor, and is a leading cause of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Global estimates suggest that almost 2.3 billion children and adults are overweight. The growing availability of ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugars, sodium, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, is a key contributor to the current obesity epidemic.

It was found that processed food accounts for nearly 10% of the average total caloric intake in both rural and urban India. Urban households in the highest income group consume almost 30% of their total daily calories from processed food. The Burden of Packaged Food on Schoolchildren based on Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) survey Know your Diet Study (2017) found that 53% children consumed salted packaged food such as chips and instant noodles at an average of over twice a week. About 56% children consumed sweet packaged food such as chocolates and ice creams at an average of over twice a week. 49% children consumed sugar-sweetened packaged beverages at an average of over twice a week. Sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy food choices, including increasing consumption of pre-packaged food among adults and children has increased the rate of Obesity and Non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

On the other hand, recognizing the vulnerability, the Constitution of India, adopted in 1950, guarantees Children certain fundamental rights which includes right to basic needs like proper healthcare, education and good nutrition. Further, United Nation through convention on Child Rights, recognized 12 sets of rights for children which most of the national governments across the globe accepted and included in their laws and policies. UNCRC believes good nutrition and healthy food as fundamental rights and urges the national government across the globe, to include nutrition goals in National Programmes of Action for protection of Child rights enshrined in the convention[1]. Similarly, the Government of India through its flagship nutrition programme the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission aim to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers[2]. The National Commission for Protection of Child Right formed through act in 2005, also vouched for protecting children’s right including right to basic needs which include healthy food and good nutrition.

India is one of the global leaders in the food and beverage industry. India ranks among the top five markets for Processed packaged food in the world, and the second largest in Asia, with a sales volume of 34 million tons. It is predicted that by the year 2020, packaged food sales will reach 47 million tonnes. As per the forecasts of Euromonitor, India is set to emerge as the third largest market for packaged food in the world by 2020, after China and the United States. Factors like increase in per capita income, globalization, lower prices, evolving preferences and beliefs of the consumer and rapid urbanization have resulted in changes in diet patterns of the consumer and increase in acceptance of processed and pre-packaged foods and beverages.

A Front of Packet Labelling (FOPL) regulation in India should be;

1.     Empowering consumers, including parents, with accurate information in the most lucid way and making consumers aware of food products that are high in fat, sugar and salt content.

2.     Comprise an underpinning nutrient profile model that limits high consumption of salt, sugar and fat through packaged food, thereby ensuring health and nutrition rights of the children protected.

Set in this context, PVHCR, Foundation of Sustainable Development India and Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat with active support of Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), ASHA Trust and Bunkar Dastakar Adhikar Manch, are organising  Public Consultation with relevant and important stakeholders including grassroot civil society organizations; citizen groups; health, Women & child right advocates; policy think-tank; faith leaders; medical professionals; nutrition scientists & activities; and members of press on October 5, 2021 at Hotel Diamond, Bhelupura, Varanasi to raise awareness on growing prevalence of childhood obesity and NCDs in vulnerable and marginalized groups of the society particularly children, women, youths, Dalits and minorities.

Expectation from Stakeholder consultation:

Since FOPL is a very new issue confronting the health and nutritional rights of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers and has its importance in realization of fundamental rights of vulnerable and marginalized section of the society, it become critical that relevant stakeholders working to safeguard rights of children and other vulnerable groups are sensitized on the need for national nutrition standards and FOPL as a Food Policy instrument for protection of the  right of marginalized and vulnerable for health and nutrition.

Further, we are also looking forward to see this consultation may become a platform for mobilizing and amplifying mothers’ voices for safeguarding their children from ill-effects of ultra-processed package food and consensus emerge on need of strong scientific FOPL based on global best practices endorse by Indian health experts.

We are proposing to initiate network of mass movement and grassroot organization to initiate a national campaign to create public awareness on Nutrition standards and FOPL Nutrition standards and mobilize voices and opinions in favour of safeguarding the health & nutritional interest of women, children and other marginalized groups in India.

We propose “PIPAL (People’s Initiative for Participatory Action on food Labelling) as people’s network of like-minded civil society organization, civil rights, consumer rights and health rights advocates. As Pipal tree ensure the well-being of entire village and its resident, this network “PIPAL” also work toward ensuring the health & nutritional rights of women children and other marginalized groups in India through better knowledge & information sharing, learning from global best practices and engage to innovate pragmatic solutions which serve everyone’ interest.

Communication Message:

1.     To address growing burden of NCDs and obesity among children, youth, women and other social & economically marginalized groups, various grassroot organizations and mass movement are coming together to launch public awareness campaign to demand stronger National Nutrition standards and scientific evidence-based Front of Packet Labelling (FOPL) for safeguarding health and nutrition rights of children and other vulnerable groups.

2.     Launch of national network “PIPAL (People’s Initiative for Participatory Action on food Labelling)” for ensuring information rights for consumers and parents for healthier food choices. This is people’s network of like-minded civil society organization, civil rights, consumer rights and health rights advocates.

3.     Faith leaders are coming together to support the demands of mother for scientific evidence-based Front of Packet Labelling (FOPL) for safeguarding health and nutrition rights of children and youths.

 

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