Globalization and Health最新文献

{"title":"Non-governmental organisations and the regulation of harmful commodity industries: navigating global governance to change corporate practices.","authors":"Kathrin Lauber, Belinda Townsend, Liz Arnanz, Fran Baum, Katherine Cullerton, Sharon Friel, Rodney Holmes, Jane Martin, Rob Ralston, Jeff Collin","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01200-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01200-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The crucial role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in advancing effective regulation of health-harming corporate practices is widely accepted, yet how precisely they shape global health governance is not well-understood. While a vast literature has grappled with corporate power and its political, market, and technological dimensions, less attention has been paid to strategic efforts to counter the influence of corporate actors. Drawing on international relations and political economy scholarship, we seek to understand NGO strategies aimed at achieving greater regulation of the ultra-processed food (UPF) and alcohol industries in global fora, and examine the considerations and constraints which inform NGO strategy choice. METHODS: We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with professional advocates active in global debates on UPF and/or alcohol governance, complemented by six interviews with officials from international organisations (IOs). Coding combined inductive and deductive approaches, with the latter informed by existing models of advocacy strategy. RESULTS: Participants described ‘inside’ strategies targeting IOs and member states as the primary focus of their organisations’ global advocacy, underpinned by a sense that such approaches are more effective. More confrontational, outside approaches were seen as inappropriate particularly for targeting the World Health Organisation as a key forum. Core advocacy activities thus include participation in consultations and meetings hosted by IOs, although advocates did highlight less radical forms of ‘outside’ strategies, rooted in information provision rather than protest. The direct targeting of corporations was relatively uncommon, with monitoring and exposing of corporate practices primarily aimed at building momentum for governmental regulation. Advocates highlighted the importance of engagement beyond health governance, noting, however, that resource challenges preclude effective entry into new fora for many NGOs. DISCUSSION: The challenge of attaining and maintaining insider status in relevant fora introduces constraints which may explain the reliance on quieter, less confrontational strategies. We reflect critically on the potential value of a noisier approach to addressing health-harming corporate practices, and challenge the notion that a primary function of NGOs can and should be to act as a ‘watchdog’ of corporate practices, instead advancing a wider perspective on corporate accountability.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13097841/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147456593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultra processed foods and their inputs increasingly dominate New Zealand's food and beverage imports: a retrospective analysis.","authors":"Kelly Garton, Gabriela Lopes da Cruz, Boyd Swinburn","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01203-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01203-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: International trade and investment liberalization impact national food environments via changes to the availability and affordability of foods, and may encourage the trade of ultra-processed foods (UPF). This study describes New Zealand (NZ) food and beverage imports over time, in terms of their level of food processing. METHODS: United Nations Comtrade data was gathered for years 1990–2023. All Harmonized System (HS) codes related to food or non-alcoholic beverages (N = 898) were categorized according to the Nova classification system into unprocessed and minimally processed foods (G1), processed culinary ingredients (G2), processed foods (G3) and UPF (G4). The food-derivatives/additives (e.g. industrial sugars and modified oils, flavourings, texture enhancers) that are UPF inputs were classified as a subgroup of G4. Total and per capita (p.c.) imports (by volume) were calculated for all years by Nova group and subgroup. Annual tariff rates from 1996 to 2023 were obtained from the World Trade Organisation Tariff & Trade Data platform. RESULTS: The share of G4 in total food and beverage imports increased over the study period, from 15.7 kg p.c. (8.7% of food imports) in 1990 to 103.8 kg p.c. (21.8%) in 2023. Of all G4 subgroups, the p.c. import volume of food-derivatives/additives (UPF inputs) increased dramatically since 1990, surpassing all other UPF subgroups since 2011. Other Nova subgroups with notable import growth included wheat cereals and flours (G1), plant oils (G2), processed vegetables and fruit (G3), and sweetened/flavoured drinks (G4). Tariff rates were reduced to zero or low levels for all food products between 1990 and 2023, with notable reductions around 1996-98, and 2007/08. Tariffs were generally higher on G3 and G4 product subgroups than G1 throughout the study period, though the difference was minimal. CONCLUSIONS: The 34 years of progressive trade liberalization in NZ were characterised by an increasing proportion of imported products being ultra-processed foods/beverages and their inputs, underscoring the need for policy interventions to counteract the impact of these trends on food environments and population nutrition.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13097854/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147443475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Logics of (dis)engagement: mapping variation in non-government norms and approaches to alcohol, ultra-processed food and related industries - a case study from Australia.","authors":"Belinda Townsend, Jeff Collin, Katherine Cullerton, Kathrin Lauber, Liz Arnanz, Jane Martin, Fran Baum, Sharon Friel","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01202-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01202-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: A central question in contemporary health governance is how to prevent undue corporate influence. There is limited practical guidance beyond the tobacco control model. Global partnership approaches have continued to promote alcohol and ultra-processed food (UPF) industry engagement, and these industries have influenced policy and governance in ways that benefit their interests, often to the detriment of strong health regulation. In Australia industry influence has delayed the introduction of mandatory alcohol health warning labels and ensured voluntary rather than mandatory front of pack food labelling. This qualitative study is the first to our knowledge to map underlying institutional logics shaping variation in the interactions of NGOs who are not reliant on industry core funding with alcohol, UPF and related industries. RESULTS: Drawing on thirty interviews with senior policy and advocacy staff from nongovernment organisations active in alcohol and/or UPF advocacy in Australia, we find shared opposition to partnerships with the alcohol industry and significant variation towards approaches to interactions with the UPF industry. All interviewees spoke of challenges in delineating the interests of other industries that may work with alcohol and UPF, such as supermarkets and retailers, advertising agencies and public relation firms, and banks and investment entities. We identify four institutional logics for disengagement with alcohol and UPF industries: a logic of reputational risk, a logic of delegitimation, an FCTC logic, and a logic of competing interests. In contrast, we find two logics for limited engagement with alcohol and UPF industries: a logic of intelligence gathering, and a logic of ‘acting reasonable’. Finally, we identify two logics for engagement with a wider range of industries: a logic of partnership and a logic of revenue raising. Only a small number of organisations had formal written policies on conflicts of interest. CONCLUSIONS: We find that many organisations have conflicting internal logics creating challenges for organisational coherence. The development of internal risk assessments by some organisations indicate efforts by staff to prevent undue corporate influence. We recommend greater transparency of policies by NGOs on preventing corporate influence, preventing conflicts of interest, and approaches to engaging a variety of corporate actors, and the establishment of a global community of practice for sharing innovative tools and approaches to preventing undue corporate influence.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13069707/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147354579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Young adults in times of overlapping social crises: dynamic profiles of mental health and crisis-related concerns using latent transition analysis.","authors":"Małgorzata Gambin, Tomasz Oleksy, Anna Wnuk, Izabela Lassota","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01199-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01199-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, young adults have navigated multiple, simultaneous crises - COVID-19, war in Ukraine, economic turbulence, climate change, and rapid AI growth - which pose complex mental-health risks. Drawing on multisystemic resilience models and the dual-factor model of mental health, we examine how individual (emotion-regulation difficulties), relational (attachment, social support), and contextual resources (social engagement, place attachment, socioeconomic status) relate to distinct emotional-response profiles and their change across three waves (July 2023, February 2024, September 2024) in a representative Polish sample (N = 1,110; 51.1% women, 48.5% men, 0.5% another/undisclosed; ages 18–30; M = 24.32, SD = 3.74). Anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, and crisis-related concerns were analysed with LPA and LTA, alongside predictors: emotion-regulation difficulties, attachment anxiety/avoidance, social support, social engagement, place attachment, and socioeconomic indicators. A five-profile solution fit best at each wave, and Wave 1 profile proportions were as follows: (1) Severely Distressed & Highly Concerned (14.5%), (2) Highly Distressed & Moderately Concerned (26.8%), (3) Highly Worried but Satisfied (24.9%), (4) Content & Mildly Concerned (30.2%), and (5) Content & Carefree (3.6%) with most participants remaining in the same profile across waves. Emotion regulation difficulties and attachment anxiety increased the likelihood of membership in highly distressed profiles. In contrast, lower attachment avoidance, higher social support, and place identity facilitated adaptive transitions toward profiles characterized by lower distress or recovery. Active place attachment and social engagement were distinctly associated with membership in the subgroup marked by high crisis-related concerns but preserved well-being. These person-centered findings reveal diverse, dynamic mental-health trajectories in times of polycrisis. Interventions that foster emotion regulation skills, secure attachment, supportive social networks, and community engagement may help young people maintain or regain well-being amid ongoing societal challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13049869/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147316897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Back home, beyond borders: a bioecological study of returnee public health scholars in a globalized health system.","authors":"Animesh Ghimire, Mamata Sharma Neupane","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01201-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01201-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Cross-border postgraduate education is reshaping the public health workforce, yet little is known about what \"return\" looks like in aid-reliant health systems where authority, resources, and evidence are co-produced across government, research institutes, and international organizations. In Nepal, internationally trained public health scholars re-enter a mixed institutional landscape shaped by global higher-education markets, donor accountability regimes, and transnational procurement and supply chains. This study examines how Nepali returnees translate overseas training into system-facing work upon returning home, and how the timing of key milestones shapes what becomes actionable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Nepali public health scholars who returned after postgraduate study abroad (five doctoral graduates; seven master's graduates) and were working in Nepal at two research institutes and two international non-governmental organizations. Positive deviance purposive sampling targeted returnees with identifiable system impact. Data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis, guided by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model (micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystems), with the chronosystem examined as a cross-cutting influence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Four interconnected themes described patterned engagement across ecological levels. (1) Microsystem-reconstituting role and voice at home: return decisions were anchored in close relationships and early workplace recognition, with a time-sensitive shift from \"credentialed outsider\" to trusted colleague. (2) Mesosystem-boundary navigation: participants described convening and translating across institutions, with coordination accelerating after early probation and crystallizing around budget cycles, grant windows, and emergencies. (3) Exosystem-rules, resources, and distant decision-makers: procurement timelines, ethics review procedures, donor reporting templates, and customs/banking processes frequently determined the feasibility and tempo of reforms. (4) Macrosystem-national imaginaries, credential politics, and moral horizons of work: participants described credentials as opening initial doors, but sustained legitimacy depended on visible delivery amid shifting political and administrative cycles; some trained in regional Asian hubs emphasized the practical transferability of methods and policy argumentation. Across themes, timing mattered: family events, contract endings, fiscal quarters, monsoon disruptions, and crisis periods re-shaped constraints and opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;In this cohort, returnee contribution was bioecological and time-sensitive: agency was not simply \"brought home,\" but assembled through relationships, cross-organizational brokerage, arm's-length governance, and national legitimacy contests, all modulated by temporal milestones. Treating return as a time-seq","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13040756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147304597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health policy, collaboration and investment in the post-COVID era: a review from UHC and health security integration perspective.","authors":"Sohel Saikat, Sabrina Shivji, Redda Seifeldin, Yu Zhang, Archana Shah, Gerard Schmets, Rajesh Sreedharan, Stella Chungong","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01196-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01196-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in health systems globally, highlighting chronic underinvestment, fragmentation, and a lack of preparedness with catastrophic impact on public health, economies and societies. Lessons learned reconfirmed the necessity to build health systems resilience, integrating efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health security in tandem. RESULTS: This study identified 63 global and regional policies, collaborations, and investments (collectively termed “initiatives”) that came out post-COVID-19 and reviewed them in reference to their focus on integration of UHC and health security through the lens of WHO’s seven policy recommendations for building resilient health systems. The findings indicate that while efforts to align UHC and health security are evident at global and regional levels, they vary in depth and coherence. 81% of initiatives align with at least four of the seven WHO policy recommendations. While there is emphasis for health security preparedness, focus on primary care and health promotion is less pronounced. Policy initiatives show stronger alignment with WHO policy recommendations compared to Collaborations or Investments, indicating synergies between policies, while apparently a gap between policy and practice. Multilateral groups, including UN agencies, and government-affiliated organizations show greater alignment with the WHO policy recommendations too, while there is less alignment with those from non-governmental and other entities. CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that while post COVID-19 policies increasingly articulate visions for integrated health systems strengthening, existing collaborations and investments have not demonstrated comparable commitment to the implementation of these visions. This underscores a prevailing disconnect among global health actors and the mostly reactive and short-term nature of external investments and partnerships. In low-income and fragile health system contexts, this misalignment risks the inefficient use of global support and may perpetuate foundational weaknesses in health systems. Moreover, this is particularly problematic given worsening fiscal constraints from reductions in overseas development assistance and country-level economic contractions. By (re)orienting global health policies, collaborations, and investments toward more unified approaches to achieving UHC and health security, the international community can more effectively support countries in building health systems capable of withstanding future crises, maintaining essential health services and safeguarding gains in health equity.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13032553/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147283486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The well-being toll of revealed involuntary immobility: a quantitative study.","authors":"Nicolás Caso, Sorana Toma","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01193-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01193-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>International migration is often driven by the desire to improve one’s well-being. For many, moving abroad represents a pathway to better economic opportunities, social conditions, or personal safety. Yet, not all individuals who aspire to migrate are able to do so. Involuntary immobility—a condition in which people wish to migrate but are constrained by external barriers such as legal restrictions, financial limitations, or lack of resources—may pose a significant challenge to subjective well-being. This study quantitatively examines the association between revealed involuntary immobility and subjective well-being using original survey data from over 12,000 young adults across 25 communities in Asia and Africa. We estimate this relationship using multiple regression models that control for other determinants of well-being and demographic characteristics. To address potential confounding between determinants of involuntary immobility and subjective well-being, we implement Propensity Score Matching. Our findings show that individuals who have experienced failed migration preparations or attempts report between 3% and 7% lower levels of subjective well-being compared to their peers. These results provide the first large-scale quantitative evidence on the toll of unfulfilled migration aspirations. We highlight the need to consider the indirect well-being consequences of migration-restrictive policies and call for policies that support individuals’ well-being in contexts of constrained mobility.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":"24"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12908386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146197564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The end of the garden path? Analyzing smallholder tobacco farming income and decision-making in Mozambique.","authors":"Benedito Cunguara, Adam Silbuwe, Jeffrey Drope, Raphael Lencucha","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01195-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01195-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many government sectors view tobacco growing to hold significant economic value for smallholder farmers, a narrative driving policy and practice. Corresponding to this narrative, there has been a marked increase in land allocated to leaf production and cigarette manufacturing. We tested this narrative in Mozambique by quantifying the economic net income of smallholder tobacco growers (n = 1 315 households) in four major tobacco growing districts and compared income across four groups of tobacco farmers; persistent growers; persistent non-growers; new growers; and no-longer growers using panel survey data collected in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. Overall, the economic net income was higher amongst those who were no-longer growers and non-growers. Relative to those who cultivated tobacco in 2020 but decided not to grow in 2021, a partnership contract with a leaf-buying company was strongly associated with continued growing of tobacco. The second factor associated with tobacco cultivation in both years was farmers’ use of hired labor, which is likely a function of the high labor intensity of the crop. These facts are important to inform further discussions on policy and programming pertaining to more robust rural livelihoods in Mozambique. These findings are consistent with a burgeoning literature from countries in Africa.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12997872/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146179103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Capitalising (on) industrial epidemics: examining the influence of the 'Big Three' asset managers on corporate governance in key health-harming commodity industries.","authors":"Benjamin Wood, Scott Slater, Sharon Friel, Ashley Schram, Nicholas Frank, Gary Sacks","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01194-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01194-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: In recent decades, the Big Three asset managers (BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street) have emerged to be among the top shareholders in thousands of listed companies worldwide. Accordingly, they have considerable influence on corporate decision-making. This paper aimed to examine the influence of the Big Three on the governance of leading corporations in key health-harming commodity industries responsible for a large burden of preventable death and disease worldwide (i.e., industrial epidemics). METHODS: We used an innovative combination of methods and data sources. We analysed share-ownership in 40 selected corporations across 10 major health-harming commodity industries. We then examined the voting behaviour of the Big Three with respect to 61 proposals put to vote at the 2024 shareholder meetings of these corporations (28/40). These proposals related to public health, social and environmental issues, as well as shareholder payouts and political lobbying and expenditure. Following this, we explored key characteristics of the ‘environmental, social, and governance’ (ESG) funds marketed by the Big Three. RESULTS: The Big Three were the most prominent shareholders across the selected corporations. In 2024, the Big Three overwhelmingly voted against proposals calling for the incorporation of social and environmental objectives into the policies and strategies of these corporations, and invariably voted in favour of proposals seeking to boost shareholder payouts and authorise political activities. The majority (54/73) of the Big Three’s identified ESG funds included one or more of the identified corporations, despite their well-documented health-harming products and practices. CONCLUSIONS: The Big Three appear to be reinforcing shareholder primacy in health-harming commodity industries, including by undermining many shareholder-led social and environmental initiatives, which risks perpetuating widespread health inequities. States need to take greater action to address industrial epidemics, including through regulating private finance in ways that prioritise health, equity, and sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12994242/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146164979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food packaging: identifying the socio-economic drivers and reduction opportunities through system dynamics modelling.","authors":"Sabrina Chakori, Ammar Abdul Aziz, Russell Richards","doi":"10.1186/s12992-026-01191-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12992-026-01191-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Food packaging continues to create negative socio-ecological impacts. Current initiatives, including recycling and the use of sustainable packaging materials, address important aspects of sustainability, however, a more comprehensive approach is needed to tackle the underlying challenges of a growth-driven economy that significantly impacts food systems. There is currently limited research in identifying systemic policy changes aimed at reducing food packaging. METHODS: Using a system dynamics approach, this study models the determinants that shape contemporary food systems and contribute to the increase in packaged food production and consumption. The resulting stock and flow model developed helps to understand and evaluate how globalisation, urbanisation and households dynamics are driving growth in packaged food. RESULTS: Findings from this study highlight (1) the need to shift the conversation from food packaging to packaged food, the actual product traded; (2) that growth-driven globalisation is contributing to the dependence on packaging; and (3) policies, such as the introduction of a basic income, could foster a reorganisation of social reproduction to incentivise the consumption of fresh and unpackaged food. CONCLUSION: This paper concludes with an invitation to explore degrowth policy proposals that could reduce dependence on packaged food and highlights the need for systemic policy changes to transform food systems. The findings of this study can be extrapolated to other countries exhibiting growth in production and consumption of packaged food. In this study, environmental and public health lenses converge.</p>","PeriodicalId":12747,"journal":{"name":"Globalization and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12977814/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146137579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}