Abstract
This paper examines the intersection of food quality, affordability, and public health outcomes across global food systems, with particular attention to how food politics and policies shape nutritional landscapes and community eating practices. Using mixed-methods data collection—including policy document analysis, regulatory database mining with R and Python, and historic event modeling—this research reveals significant disparities in food system governance and their downstream effects on population health. Our findings demonstrate dramatic regulatory and nutritional quality divergences between jurisdictions, which correlate positively with regional life expectancy and health outcomes. These disparities illuminate critical questions about food system sustainability and highlight the urgent need for improved public understanding of nutrition within diverse cultural contexts. The study contributes to ongoing debates about navigating food system politics and policies by examining how regulatory frameworks either support or undermine equitable access to quality nutrition. Through comparative analysis of continental food systems, we reveal how policy interventions can either perpetuate or address systemic inequalities in food access and quality. Our research suggests that sustainable food systems require not only technological and agricultural innovations but also fundamental shifts in how communities understand, access, and engage with nutritional resources. This work advances scholarship at the intersection of food politics, public health policy, and community nutrition practices, offering insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working toward more equitable and sustainable food futures.
Presenters
Maria BurnsDirector, Technology Leadership & Innovation Management, Information Science Technology, University of Houston, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Fed Up: Learning From the Past, Imagining New Futures
KEYWORDS
Global Food Policy, Global Health Disparities, Nutritional Value
