Dr Belinda Reeve1
1The University Of Sydney Law School, Australia
Biography:
Dr Belinda Reeve teaches in the fields of health law, tort law, and regulation. Her research explores the role of law, regulation, and policy in creating a healthy and sustainable food system. She is the co-founder of Australia’s first Food Governance Conference, as well as the Food Governance Node, a platform for cross-disciplinary research on novel legal, regulatory and policy strategies to transform the food system.
Abstract:
Researchers and policy makers often under-estimate the role of Australian local governments in improving diet-related health and creating a healthy and sustainable food system. However, an increasing number of local governments are introducing policies and programs that address issues such as food insecurity, diet-related non-communicable diseases, and food system sustainability. In some local government areas, this includes innovative food systems policies that address the health, economic, and social impacts of food systems in a holistic way, as well as targeting multiple aspects of food production, sale, consumption, and disposal.
While Australian public health laws have not typically focused on nutrition and diet-related health, some states’ legislation has devolved significant public health responsibilities to local governments, offering a pathway for local-level action on creating a healthy and sustainable food system. Drawing on the findings of a multi-year Australian Research Council-funded study, this presentation will describe how Victorian local governments have leveraged their functions under the state’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 to introduce initiatives and policies on food system functioning. I will also discuss the interactions between this Act and Victoria’s climate change legislation, which have important implications for Victorian local governments’ response to food systems issues. Finally, I will reflect on how state public health laws could be reformed to better support the role of local governments in creating a healthy and sustainable food system.
Presentation Slides PDF – Click here