HUBS

Fiscal and Economic Policies for Healthy Food and Nutrition Hub

The Hubs are reference teams on priority topics for the region, made up of Colansa members who share a common interest in one of these topics and wish to work together on its development.

Who we are

The Fiscal and Economic Policies for Healthy Food and Nutrition Hub at Colansa is composed of a group of professional researchers and experts from various disciplines related to public health, economists, and others. The members of this group have extensive knowledge of the different technical aspects related to sustainable development policies, the economic evaluation of nutrition projects, and the fiscal systems of the countries in the region.

MISSION

The Hub’s mission is to unite technical efforts to develop innovative proposals for governments and civil society to implement fiscal and economic policies focused, on the one hand, on increasing the consumption and supply of healthy foods and, on the other hand, on discouraging the consumption of ultra-processed foods in the population’s diet, thereby helping to halt the spread of non-communicable diseases.

VISION

The vision of this Hub takes into account the complexities of the current food system and, based on the best available evidence, seeks to identify the most cost-effective and impactful fiscal and economic interventions to improve consumption habits and the supply of healthy foods in the region.

OBJECTIVES

Create a dedicated research space within COLANSA to address economic issues, conduct analyses, and propose fiscal and economic policies, in line with the context, needs, and possibilities of the countries in the region;
Consider the advancements and best practices in fiscal and economic policies at the global and regional levels;
Identify key areas to develop additional research with the aim of advancing sustainable and timely policies for healthy food systems;
Develop research protocols and concept notes required by funders for conducting studies at the regional or national level;
Advise policymakers, public officials, and representatives of civil society on the implementation of high-impact fiscal and economic interventions;

Participate in various multi- and interdisciplinary spaces and international organizations related to the topic;
Contribute to the development of advocacy strategies with key actors at the regional or national level on fiscal and economic issues;
Develop guidelines and coordinate sub-granting to postgraduate students to support studies conducted within the Hub;
Collaborate and propose materials to continue developing an electronic library on the topic.

WHO CAN BECOME A MEMBER?

All Colansa members can register for the hubs. Just click “login” and sign in with your email and password.

If you are not yet a Colansa member and would like to take part in the hubs, become part of Colansa.

Members are expected to participate actively in meetings, sharing progress on their research related to the Hub or their political or advocacy actions; to contribute to the group’s sustainability by seeking funding sources to meet its objectives; to give their opinion on the prioritization of the Hub’s topics and activities; to support the external dissemination of activities; to identify needs and propose possible solutions; and to review and approve the annual activity report and the financial report prepared by the board.

Additionally, graduate students are expected to take on a more active role in carrying out the Hub’s activities, such as events, the development of informational materials, and information updates, ideally linked to their research work.