Parliamentary Front Against Hunger presents 2020 legislative achievements and says it will push for labeling laws in 2021
29 enero 2021

NUTRITION

Healthy eating: At the end of December, the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger of Latin America and the Caribbean (FPH, in Spanish) presented an annual report where it highlighted that during 2020 it contributed to the progress of multiple bills in the region, including the regulation of the food labeling law in Mexico and the food security law in El Salvador. The organization highlighted the importance of these advances as a necessary step to promote the economic recovery of the countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, the FPH, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), expects to continue working during 2021 in different countries to promote, among other things, labeling law proposals in the Dominican Republic, Argentina and El Salvador and healthy food environments in Colombia.

The FPH highlighted the approval and debate during 2020 of approximately 30 laws and regulations in Argentina, El Salvador, Mexico and other countries in the region, highlighting those that deal with food labeling, healthy eating in schools, healthy eating environments, promotion of family farming, among others. Likewise, the organization together with the FAO, highlighted that in general the fight against hunger is more effective when there are regulations by governments that support the right to food.

Likewise, the FPH expressed that it will have as a regional priority in the future to closely monitor the progress of food labeling bills in Argentina, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. They will also pay special attention to the healthy food environments bill in Colombia and the food waste bill in Guatemala, among others. Other issues of regional interest in legislative terms for the entity will be the promotion of the circular economy and the guarantee of a greater offer by the countries of nutritious and varied diets for the entire population, facilitating economic access to healthy foods, improving and expanding in turn their distribution.

Next steps

After a 2020 where the FPH worked together with countries in regulatory terms to promote laws and standards for food labeling and sustainable food, the organization assured that it will continue with these commitments in 2021. Thus, the entity established as objectives for 2021 to contribute to the advancement of food labeling bills in Argentina, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, as well as the healthy food environments bill in Colombia and the Food System Reform bill in Honduras, among others. To move forward with them, it would have the support of national legislators and FAO officials.

wefeqwf