Tag Archive for: Health

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1st Congress of Food Policies in Argentina

On August 9 and 10 we will hold the 1st Congress of Food Policies in Argentina in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It is organized by Fundeps and Fundación Sanar.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

With the participation of national and international speakers, for 2 days we will talk about the progress and challenges of the 1 year anniversary of the implementation of the Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating, known as the labeling law.

We will share views and opportunities for joint work between students and health professionals, the educational community, state authorities, organizations that work for the right to health, the environment, among other actors.

The main topics of the congress include:

  • Challenges for the implementation of the law in the provinces.
  • Healthy school environments: recommendations and tools.
  • Transformation of food programs.
  • Food Industry Marketing Strategies.

Schedule:

  • First day (August 9): begins at 8:30 a.m. with the accreditations. There will be 3 discussion tables and speakers ending the day at 5:15 p.m.
  • Second day (August 10): starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 12:40 p.m. There will be 2 dialogue tables.

The congress will take place at SCALA HOTEL (BERNARDO DE IRIGOYEN 740, CABA).

It is free and with limited seats. Requires prior registration.

 

See the full program and speakers here.

I WANT TO REGISTER

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Healthy Schools: a collective construction

The objective of this document is to provide simple, clear and timely information about the scope of Law 27,642 on the Promotion of Healthy Eating so that the various people that make up the educational community become agents of change that accompany the new food paradigm in the school environments.

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Recommendations for the promotion of healthy school environments

The construction of healthy school environments is essential to promote healthy eating in childhood and adolescence. In this document, we gather recommendations and suggestions for the authorities in the field of education to move forward in this regard, based on the implementation of the Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating and the adoption of complementary measures.

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“Let’s not let it pass” campaign: promote the first citizen report on the labeling law

Through this initiative, FIC Argentina, FAGRAN, Fundación Sanar, Fundeps and Consciente Colectivo seek to promote a citizenry committed to the labeling law and thus generate the first citizen report on its compliance. The initiative arises from the identification of various breaches and the lack of effective control by the State.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Let’s not let it pass” is the new campaign launched today by FIC Argentina, FAGRAN, Fundación Sanar, Fundeps and Consciente Colectivo to promote an informed citizenry and committed to the effective implementation of the labeling law. The nationwide campaign seeks to generate a citizen report on the state of compliance with the law, 10 months after the start of its implementation.

In 2021, the organizations promoted the campaign “Don’t cover our eyes” to promote the approval of the law and, on this occasion, they meet again so that this public health measure is effectively complied with. The campaign emphasizes some components of the law referring to the presence and characteristics of the seals (their size, location on the container, for example) as well as their disposition in the gondola.

“A few months ago we carried out a research study to find out how the law is being implemented and we detected that in 83% of the supermarkets surveyed there were breaches regarding the disposition of the products on the gondola, the seals were not visible to the consumer. In 67% we found promotions associated with the price (such as “15% discount” and “50% discount on the second unit”) in products with stamps, which also shows a breach of the provisions of the law, and in the 12% of the surveyed products, the seals were not on the main face of the container. The State must sanction these breaches and with the campaign we seek to make them visible,” said Leila Guarnieri of FIC Argentina.

“It is a priority that the commitment extends throughout the country, counting on the federal representation of the provinces, which monitor compliance with the Law through committed citizens and nutrition professionals who, through Education and advocacy actions put the visibility of this Law at the center of the scene. As a Federation we join the efforts of the entities that we bring together for the effective compliance of the Law, without exception”, declared Ana Caceres from FAGRAN.

“For a full implementation of the Labeling Law, it is essential that as citizens we get involved and demand its compliance. Although it is the State that has the obligation to control, we are observing that these mechanisms can be deficient and inopportune. In addition, up to now we have no data that sanctions have been applied to companies that break the law. For this reason, it is important that we remain alert and report non-compliances to demand that the authorities monitor and sanction appropriately,” said Maga Merlo from Fundeps. And he added: “Let us remember that this law comes to protect fundamental rights such as health, adequate food and information for consumers, and especially for groups in vulnerable situations, such as children. Citizen participation is essential to build transparent public policies.”

“The platform also arises from the need to make visible the actions of companies that break the law in different ways, interfering mainly in the guarantee of the right to information of consumers. Being able to document, systematize the information and thus channel the claim to the enforcement authorities will allow the State to act in such a way that it can put into operation its own strategies to mitigate non-compliance,” said Ignacio Porras from Fundación SANAR.

“For a norm to be effective and not die in the sanction, it is essential that we get involved and demand its correct implementation. It is a matter of appropriating the Law and knowing it to be able to claim for our rights and build new horizons”, declared Ariana Krochik of Consciente Colectivo.

How to participate in this campaign?

Registering breaches at www.nolodejemospasar.org

Contact

Maga Merlo, magamerlov@fundeps.org

Why is it urgent for Argentina to ratify the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control?

Last Tuesday, May 2, the National Executive Power submitted to the Chamber of Deputies a bill for the ratification of the Framework Agreement for Tobacco Control. Argentina is the only country in South America that has not yet done so and its ratification constitutes a pending debt for public health. In this note we tell you why the Argentine State should not miss this opportunity and why it is important to take this step for the adequate protection of the right to health.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The National Ministry of Health, in the latest World Youth Tobacco Survey, revealed that our country has one of the highest tobacco addiction prevalence rates in the region. The data show that tobacco consumption causes 44,851 deaths per year, representing 13% of the total deaths and that more than 22% of the population still consumes tobacco, with the age at which smoking begins being increasingly lower, which is already ranges from 12 to 15 years.

Likewise, according to a study published by the Institute of Effectiveness and Health Clinic, our country spends approximately 197,000 million pesos each year to treat diseases caused by smoking (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, lung cancer, among others), representing 7.6% of local health spending. In addition, as if this were not enough, smoking mainly affects vulnerable social groups, thus generating a vicious circle of poverty and disease, and has been internationally recognized as a barrier to sustainable development.

It is this context that determines the urgency of moving forward with the ratification of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC). This is the first international public health treaty signed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which to date has been ratified by 182 countries (including all the States that are part of Mercosur, except Argentina) and is one of the the most widely accepted pacts in the history of the United Nations.

It is important to highlight that this treaty was prepared in order to respond to the global tobacco epidemic. To this end, the FCTC provides a comprehensive framework for the implementation of effective tobacco control policies aimed at reducing the supply, demand, and harm caused by these products. Thus, by ratifying this Agreement, Argentina would commit to adopting a battery of measures that would strengthen the public health protection standard.

Key points of ratification

Currently, our country has various regulatory provisions on tobacco control and some of them even adopt the measures provided for in the FCTC itself. However, it is important to highlight that the incorporation of this international instrument into the national legal system continues to be essential. Well, there are regulations that are still highly permissive to the commercial interests of the industry, while there are certain global problems that necessarily require international cooperation to address them.

In this sense, the adoption of the Framework Convention would improve the broad prohibition of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, including that with cross-border effects. This measure acquires fundamental importance in the face of the globalization of communications and the millionaire investments in marketing made by the industry. While the National Tobacco Control Law allows the presence of marketing within the points of sale, direct communications to people over 18 years of age, as well as corporate social responsibility actions by tobacco companies.

Likewise, the ratification of the Framework Convention would allow Argentina to have better tools to face the problem of illicit trade, such as the Protocol for the elimination of illicit trade in tobacco products, also signed under the auspices of the WHO. According to research, illicit trade – involving smuggling, counterfeiting, illicit manufacturing, among other forms – increases the accessibility and affordability of tobacco products, and violates price-related measures and targeted tax measures. to reduce the tobacco epidemic. This treaty recognizes that the elimination of all forms of illicit trade is an essential component of tobacco control and that it requires the development and application of both national and international measures. Within the scope of Mercosur, Argentina is the only country that does not participate in the negotiations for the control of smuggling, being left out of the decisions aimed at preventing illegal trade between neighboring countries.

In turn, the Framework Agreement, through its article 5.3 and the guidelines for its application, confer a set of measures aimed at protecting public health policies against commercial interests and other vested interests on the part of tobacco companies, as well as of individuals or organizations working to advance the interests of this industry. In this sense, the need to establish measures to limit interactions with the tobacco industry to those cases in which it is strictly necessary to establish an effective regulation of it and its products is highlighted; guarantee the transparency of the interactions that take place either through hearings and public records; require that the information provided by the industry be accurate and transparent; establish clear rules on conflicts of interest for all persons working in the State and in the sphere of tobacco control; denormalize and not approve, support, associate or participate in the activities that the tobacco industry promotes as “socially responsible” (such as public education initiatives, health care, etc.), among other recommendations. In this way, the FCTC provides an adequate legal framework to curb tobacco industry interference in public health issues related to tobacco control.

Finally, it is important to highlight that the ratification of the Framework Agreement would also enable the Argentine State to participate in spaces where relevant decisions are made for tobacco control and the construction of international cooperation strategies. An example of this is the Conference of the Parties, the governing body of the FCTC that is in charge of regularly reviewing its application and adopting the necessary decisions to promote its effective implementation. In addition, it is a body from which mechanisms are promoted for the transfer of specialized technical, scientific, technological and legal knowledge, taking into account the needs of the States Parties, if they are developing countries, if they have economies in transition, etc.

A matter of human rights

From the preamble, the Convention makes it clear that it is an international instrument “based on scientific evidence that reaffirms the right of all people to enjoy the highest level of health that can be achieved.” In this way, it exposes the relationship between the protection of the right to health and tobacco control policies.

In this regard, it is important to highlight that the ratification of the Framework Agreement is in line with the obligations assumed by the Argentine State in terms of protection of human rights. According to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights -which also has a constitutional hierarchy- the Argentine State has the duty to adopt the necessary measures in order to guarantee the right of every person to enjoy the highest possible level of health. In this regard, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, through its observations, has said that the State’s failure to comply with the necessary measures to make it effective constitutes a violation of the right to health, as it would be the failure to adopt sufficient control policies for the marketing of tobacco products. Likewise, this Committee has specially recommended the Argentine State to ratify the FCTC and promote public policies aimed at preventing the initiation of consumption and informing about the negative impacts of tobacco on health, with emphasis on childhood and adolescence.

In the same sense, there is the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against women -which also enjoys constitutional hierarchy- and according to which the Argentine State, being a Party, has the duty to adopt the appropriate measures to protect and guarantee women’s right to health. In this regard, the Committee of this Convention has recommended that the Argentine State ratify the FCTC, reduce the high level of tobacco use among adolescents, particularly girls, and face the health consequences of smoking.

In this way, the intimate connection between tobacco control policies and human rights obligations is observed, even reinforced by the interpretive work of human rights monitoring organizations. Thus, the FCTC is used as a standard to understand the scope of the obligations derived from the human right to health, especially in the face of the tobacco epidemic.

What is the procedure for ratification of the FCTC to take place?

On September 25, 2003, the Argentine State through the National Executive Branch signed the FCTC. This is the first step to take in the process of ratifying an international treaty and implies the assumption of the commitment not to undermine the objectives of the treaty. Unfortunately, 20 years had to elapse since that signature was produced for the National Executive to finally present a bill for ratification before the National Congress.

This bill must be approved by both chambers so that once it has become law, the National Executive proceeds to the ratification -properly speaking- and the consequent deposit of the instrument before the United Nations. It is important to note that this action indicates the consent of a State to be bound by the terms of a treaty. Therefore, in case of non-compliance, there is the possibility of demanding compliance, both nationally and internationally.

What first our right to health!

The FCTC provides a legal framework with concrete measures aimed at preventing and limiting the tobacco epidemic. From the ratification, the Argentine state will be obliged to implement the measures that the Framework Agreement imposes, thus strengthening the protection standards that currently prevail in terms of tobacco control.

Public policies aimed at improving the health of the population require the greatest commitment on the part of all social actors and political forces. Today, Argentina has a new opportunity to settle this outstanding debt with public health, prioritizing the protection of fundamental rights -especially those who are in a situation of vulnerability, such as children and adolescents- over those negotiated. and industry business interests. The ratification of the FCTC must be high on the political agenda. The Chamber of Deputies has to move forward!

 

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Author

Maga Merlo

Contact

Maga Merlo, magamerlov@fundeps.org

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Regulatory Map of Front Labeling in Argentina

From Fundeps and Fundación Sanar we present the Regulatory Map of Front Labeling in Argentina, a website that shows the progress of the 23 provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) in the issuance of regulations that regulate the implementation of the Promotion Law of Healthy Eating (PAS) at the local level, and at the same time accounts for the regulation process carried out by the National State. The objective of this tool is to promote and strengthen the full implementation of this law throughout the country.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Law No. 27,642 on the Promotion of Healthy Eating, known as the Labeling Law, was enacted on October 26, 2021 and regulated on March 22, 2022. As of this date, it is mandatory throughout the country. However, the adherence and/or the issuance of complementary regulations by the provinces and CABA is of utmost importance to ensure the full implementation of all the measures established by law, and thus effectively protect the health of the population.

The issuance of local, adhesion or complementary regulations by the 23 provinces and CABA:

  • It gives the possibility of adapting the regulations to the reality of each jurisdiction and improving their implementation at the local level.
  • It allows progress on aspects of the exclusive jurisdiction of jurisdictions that national law does not cover.
  • It accounts for an important act of political will.
  • Creates regulatory conditions conducive to the materialization of the rights recognized by the PAS Law.
  • It means an opportunity to raise the minimum floor established by national regulations.

In view of the importance of adhering to and enacting local regulations as fundamental elements to promote healthy eating throughout Argentina, Fundación Sanar and Fundeps present the Regulatory Map of Front Labeling in Argentina. This consultation and analysis tool is aimed at national and provincial public authorities responsible for promoting healthy eating policies and at civil society organizations, academia and the media that monitor the correct implementation of the PAS Law.

 

Consult the REGULATORY MAP: www.etiquetadoenargentina.org/

 

About the PAS Law:

The PAS Law seeks to promote healthy eating and guarantee the right to health and adequate nutrition. It includes measures such as placing warning seals on packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages to provide clear and understandable nutritional information, encouraging more assertive decisions by consumers. It also regulates aspects such as school environments and nutritional food education, advertising, promotion and sponsorship of the food industry – with special focus on childhood and adolescence – as well as public purchases made by the State. These components contribute to a comprehensive approach to the regulations, strengthening their protective nature and their focus on rights.

 

Contact

Laura Fons, laurafons@fundeps.org

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There are no more excuses to comply with the front labeling law

On February 16, the extension granted to large companies to implement the law expired and on the 20th it is the turn of SMEs, who from that day on must incorporate the seals in their products with excessive content of critical nutrients. In this key month, civil society organizations highlight the need for the law to be complied with and for the State to take an active role in its oversight.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The month of February has two key dates for the Healthy Eating Promotion Law, better known as the Labeling Law. That is why FAGRAN, Fundeps, SANAR, FIC Argentina and Consciente Colectivo met to review the timing of the norm and to highlight that there are no more excuses for the law to be complied with.

On the one hand, February 16 is the day on which the extensions granted to large companies expire, a benefit that they counted on to delay the implementation date that the law originally stipulated (August 20, 2022). That is, from now on, large companies must incorporate seals on the packaging of their products with excesses of critical nutrients. This process will be gradual given that products from companies that obtained extensions can still circulate in stores, and that were prepared and packaged before February 16, which, according to the law, are not required to bear stamps since they were produced under the extension period.

On the other hand, the regulations of the law establish that as of February 20, SMEs must begin to include labels on the corresponding containers. However, as was the case with large companies, SMEs can obtain extensions of up to 180 days to delay implementation.

Although the extensions are within the framework provided for by the norm and are not a violation of it, we from the organizations demand that information be public about the reasons why this benefit was approved, as well as which products. and companies were awarded. This information was not provided by the State, removing transparency from the law implementation process. This situation, added to factors such as stock, generates a confusing scenario for citizens, who do not have clear information to identify if a product does not have seals because it is healthy; because it comes from another stock; or because it has the benefit of extension.

From now on, the role of the State in monitoring compliance with the law will be key to defending the rights of the population. From civil society we will continue to monitor this process, providing tools and information and demanding its correct implementation with citizens.

 

Contact

Maga Merlo, magamerlov@fundeps.org

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Transparency and participation of civil society in the CONAL decision-making process | Report

This material was prepared from the advocacy work in the National Food Commission (CONAL) carried out by Fundeps in 2021 and 2022 for the modification of the regulation of trans fats. It takes contributions from the work articulated with other civil society organizations and proposes a reflective analysis in construction, which seeks to contribute to the debate on the need for greater transparency in the process of elaboration, execution and monitoring of public food policies in Argentina.

Ícono de validado por la comunidad
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Transparency and participation of civil society in the CONAL decision-making process | SUMMARY

This document is the summary of a report prepared from the advocacy work of Fundeps in the National Food Commission (CONAL) in 2021 and 2022 for the modification of the regulation of trans fats. It takes contributions from the work articulated with other civil society organizations and proposes a reflective analysis in construction, which seeks to contribute to the debate on the need for greater transparency in the process of elaboration, execution and monitoring of public food policies in Argentina.

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Regulatory mapping – Front-end warning labeling of food octagons in the Americas

This document summarizes the good practices of the Latin American countries that have incorporated front-facing food labeling into their regulations. A brief summary of the result of the analysis of the regulations of all these countries will be presented, and a clear comparison will be provided. on every aspect of those standards.

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A dialogue on food programs, public purchases and the Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating

Last Thursday, November 17, we held a meeting on the current management of food programs for school canteens in the provinces of Mendoza, Córdoba, Salta, Tucumán, and Buenos Aires. Special emphasis was placed on food purchasing systems and on the need to guarantee the effective application of Law No. 27,642 on the Promotion of Healthy Eating (PAS) within the framework of school assistance programs in each of these provinces. The event was organized by Fundeps, Nuestra Mendoza, Andhes, Salta Transparente, the Center for the Implementation of Constitutional Rights (CIDC) and also had the support of SANAR.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In addition to representatives of the aforementioned civil society organizations, the following participated in the meeting: Claudia Oliva and Victoria Lo Valvo, General Director of the Comprehensive Assistance Program of Córdoba (P.A.I.Cor) and Director of Legal Affairs of the General Directorate of Purchases of Córdoba ; Franco Pullido and Gabriel Sciola, Director of School Feeding of Mendoza and Undersecretary of Administration of the General Directorate of Schools of Mendoza and Matías Molina, General Director of Monitoring of Procurement of Goods and Services of the province of Salta.

At first, through a participatory dynamic, the different representations and social images linked to chronic non-communicable diseases and, specifically, malnutrition due to excess and the commonly known “law of labeling” were addressed. Then the different components of said law were described and, finally, the provisions related to public purchases for school canteens were studied in depth.

It was highlighted that, when dealing with purchases for educational establishments, they should guarantee that products with black seals did not enter the schools, whether they were already packaged products or the ingredients used to prepare the food. This, given that products with at least one seal or precautionary legend cannot be offered, marketed, promoted, advertised or sponsored within schools, by virtue of article 12 of the PAS law.

In a second moment, the floor was given to each of the leading people from the provinces, authorities in the event that they were present or from NGOs, so that they could comment on how the management of the food programs was in each one of them, how Food purchases were decided, with what nutritional criteria, if this information was accessible to the public, all with the aim of identifying some common points and windows of opportunities for the effective application of the PAS law.

By way of conclusion, each attendee identified opportunities, challenges and possibilities for articulation between civil society and the State agencies involved.

 

Authors

Maria Victoria Sibilla

Maga Merlo

Contact

Maria Victoria Sibilla, ninasibilla@fundeps.org

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We ask the authorities to update the National Tobacco Control Law

We sent to national authorities of the Executive and Legislative Power a document with legal arguments and scientific evidence that support the need to update the national law No. 26,687 of regulation of advertising, promotion and consumption of products made with tobacco. In this note we tell you what we ask of them and why.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Law No. 26,687 is already more than 10 years old, and the need to update it in light of the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry and the new products it develops is evident. According to the World Survey on Tobacco in Young People in Argentina, carried out in 2020, tobacco consumption produces 44,851 annual deaths, representing 13% of total deaths and that still, more than 22% of the population consumes tobacco, being the age of initiation, which is already between 12 and 15 years, is decreasing.

For this reason, we send a report with key information to the Nation’s Minister of Health -Carla Vizzotti-, to the block presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, and to various legislators from commissions related to the subject, explaining why what is this update needed.

The World Health Organization warns that while many countries have made significant progress in regulating traditional tobacco products, there are many others that are novel (such as heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, better known as vapers). ), and continue without being properly regulated, making their way through the population, especially in children and adolescents. The WHO adds that these products are not only harmful to health, but also work as an incentive for young people to start consuming traditional cigarettes.

On the other hand, we transmitted to the Minister and the legislators information about the legal loopholes that the current law has, and that are exploited by the tobacco industry to avoid advertising, promotion and sponsorship prohibitions. For this same reason, we suggest a series of measures that should be included in the standard, such as the absolute and explicit prohibition of all types of advertising -including display at points of sale-, as well as its effective control to avoid violations, and ultimately, get them sanctioned.

We bet on the political will and the strengthening of public policies to improve the standards of protection of the right to health. A strong and thriving industry like the tobacco industry requires a State that is present and willing to watch over the interests and rights of the population.

 

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Author

Sofía Armando

Contacto

Maga Merlo, magamerlov@fundeps.org