WHO WE ARE

The Hubs are reference groups on priority issues for the region, made up of Colansa members who have a common interest in any of these issues and by who want to work together on their development. In particular, the Hub for Front-of-Package of Industrialized Food and Beverages in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) addresses one of these topics of interest whose discussion has become very relevant for the region in recent years.

The Front-of-Package of-package warning label is already implemented in several countries in the region, while others are in different stages of the process for its implementation. The foregoing makes it necessary to promote and strengthen all actions that contribute to the installation of this issue due to its relevance and contribution as a regulatory framework that favors the development of healthy, sustainable, equitable and inclusive food systems.

MISSION

The mission of the front-of-package of Industrialized Food and Beverages Hub is to support, monitor and guide the advancement of policies related to frontal warning labeling in LAC, making use of the best available evidence free of conflicts of interest, and favoring the articulation of different actors in society.

VISION

The Hub of Front-of-Package of Industrialized Foods and Beverages will be a technical reference within Colansa and LAC in terms of evidence, advocacy and decision-making, to contribute to the discussion of the necessary strategies to advance in the policies of nutritional labeling and other related subjects within LAC and ideally, other regions.

OBJECTIVES

A. Analyze and summarize the academic experience on labeling, contextualize the available evidence free of conflicts of interest and disseminate it in an accessible way for different audiences, in a work articulated with the communications of Colansa.

B. Articulate the experience of the Hub’s experts and connect them with a broader network of researchers, advocates and decision makers, promoting both academic and political advocacy collaborative work among its members.

C. Address particular information gaps and identify potential academic, civil society and advocacy areas that require further development in data management, implementation, research, communication, dissemination, etc.

D. Systematize information from research groups on the subject, promote collaboration and comparative analysis of evidence, to support actions in favor of the implementation of nutrition labeling policies and other related matters in LAC.

E. Identify potential funding opportunities for collaborative projects.

GOVERNANCE

The governance of the Hub is described as follows:

There is a board of directors made up of members of the pre-community of Colansa and managers of the Hub 5 people in total that cover the General Coordination areas , Scientific Coordination, Advocacy or Advocacy Coordination, Communications Coordination and Financing Coordination. Each member will be chosen by the participants of the Hub and every 2 years will be called to renew half of the table. The elections will be carried out by secret ballot among the persons registered in the group on the date of the elections. Candidates may voluntarily run for any of the positions, or be invited to run. The process will be coordinated by a committee formed for this purpose. 

The responsibilities of the board of directors will be to coordinate periodic meetings of the Hub, plan, coordinate and / or supervise the execution of activities, manage and administer resources, disseminate and communicate the activities of the group both within Colansa and outside the community, report annually the activities carried out by the node and prepare an annual financial report on the use of resources.

WHO CAN BE MEMBERS?

All people belonging to Colansa, such as graduate students, academics and people who work in the legal profession, may register as members. 

Members are expected to actively participate in meetings, either sharing advances in their research related to the theme and their political or advocacy actions; contribute to the sustainability of the Hub through the search for sources of financing for the fulfillment of objectives, give their opinion on the prioritization of topics and activities, support in the external dissemination of activities, identify needs and promote possible solutions, review and approve the annual activity report and the financial report prepared by the board of directors. 

Additionally, it is expected that postgraduate students assume a more active role in carrying out the Hub’s activities such as events, preparation of informative material, updating information, etc. ideally linked to your investigative work.