Background
Methods
Available sources of information | Unavailable sources of information |
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• Country-specific website for each industry actor • Industry actor social media accounts (Facebook, but no Twitter accounts) • News and media releases from the Fijian government • News articles related to the selected food industry actors and diet-related issues in major national newspapers | • From the Parliament and for the Ministries (and related agencies) responsible for diet- and public health-related issues: ○ Declarations of interests of all members ○ Submissions to public consultations from the food industry on diet- and public health-related issues ○ List of working groups on diet-related issues and the conflicts of interest of their members ○ List of public-private initiatives on diet-related issues ○ Minister’s diary disclosures ○ Register of lobbyists ○ Formal Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, or equivalent legislation through which researchers could have asked for: ▪ A list of meetings of food industry representatives from the selected sample of industry actors, with officials and/or representatives of the government ▪ Minutes and other reports of these meetings ▪ All correspondence (including emails) between food industry representatives from the selected sample of industry actors and officials and/or representatives from the government • Donations for elections from the food industry • Political parties annual returns for donations from the food industry • For major universities with a school/department of nutrition/dietetics or physical activity: ○ Research projects, fellowships or grants funded by the selected food industry actors ○ Prizes or awards offered to students by selected food industry actors |
List of food industry actors selected for the document analysis | Core activity in Fiji | Corresponding websites |
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McDonald's | Fast food restaurant | |
Pizza King | Fast food restaurant | |
Coca Cola Amatil | Sweetened beverages manufacturer/supplier | |
Tappoo | Sweetened beverages manufacturer/supplier | |
Motibhai | Sweetened beverages manufacturer/supplier | |
Frezsco | Sweetened beverages manufacturer/supplier | |
Pinto | Sweetened beverages manufacturer/supplier | |
FMF | Processed food products manufacturer | |
Foods Pacific | Processed food products manufacturer | |
C J Patel | Processed food products manufacturer | Southern Cross Foods (subsidiary Fiji) http://www.scfoods.com.fj/
|
Food processors | Processed food products manufacturer | |
Tahi Pacific | Processed food products manufacturer | |
New World IGA | Supermarket | |
Morris Hedstrom | Supermarket |
Strategy | Practices | McDonald's | Pizza King | Coca Cola Amatil | Tappoo | Motibhai | Frezsco | Pinto | FMF | Foods Pacific | C J Patel | Food processors | Tahi Pacific | New World | Morris Hedstrom | Total occurrences |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Information and messaging | Lobbying | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stress the economic importance of the industry | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
Promote de-regulation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Frame the debate on diet- and public health-related issues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Shape the evidence base on diet and public health-related issues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Financial incentives | Financial incentives | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Constituency building | Establish relationships with key opinion leaders and health organisations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Seek involvement in the community | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
Establish relationships with policymakers | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Establish relationships with the media | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
Legal strategies | Use legal action (or the threat of) against public policies or opponents | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Influence the development of trade and investment agreements | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Policy substitution | Policy substitution | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Opposition fragmentation and destabilisation | Opposition fragmentation and destabilisation strategy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total number of CPA practices identified | 6 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
Results
CPA strategies and practices identified in Fiji
Information and messaging strategy
Lobbying
“They [food industry representatives] certainly make direct contact with policy makers to push their own agenda. They will contact the Minister or the Permanent Secretary, or senior civil servants to push their particular agenda – yes most definitely, on a very frequent basis. (…) Generally speaking, that has been negative to public health because they have been pushing or promoting the opposite of what the Ministry of Health is pursuing.”“This [lobbying] is a subtle technique utilised in the Fijian scene. I know for a fact that the previous Minister of Health introduced bills on increased taxation on sugar sweetened beverages to the Cabinet six times – all were refused. Why? There appears to be some influence on Cabinet by the major [food industry] players.”
“They [the food industry] do lobby policy makers, they do approach the Ministers. But the disadvantage for us [public health advocates] is, for them, they have numbers [of staff], and they have the economic power to lobby, we don’t.”
Stress the economic importance of the industry
“I would probably say that most influential [practice of the food industry] is their framing of this as being an economic issue.”
“They [food industry representatives] always remind us that “even though you [public health advocates] are coming from the health side, we still need to feed families.” In other words, “we still provide jobs that support families, and most of all, we provide for the economy of the nation”.”“Because of how they [the food industry] influence the economy, they feel that they have every right to influence policy makers, or regulation, or anything that is set up by the government. At the end of the day, they feel that, because of their input, they need to be consulted [and shape policy] to what suits them.”
“There have been companies that have said that they are 30 to 40 % contributors to the tax payment to the government, and should there be too much [regulation] from the Ministry of Health, then there is a possibility that the company might close, and so many workers would lose their jobs, or they would shift their plants to some other countries.”“The response from a number of the industry was that they were not going to open new factories as a result of this [proposed policy measure], and that potential new jobs, hundreds and hundreds of new jobs would no longer be created – which they haven’t created anyway.”“The lawmakers in the Solicitor’s General office and the Attorney General’s office and the Minister of Trade, they weren’t shifting – because these guys go to them and say, “Hey listen, we’ll close the factories down in Fiji, and we’ll reopen it in Tonga, you’ll lose employment”. So public health suffers at the expense of trade and development.”
Promote de-regulation
“When we have been asking them to [make changes to food labelling], companies have quoted us that it will cost them FJD 2 million [approx. USD1 million], and they have already ordered ten years’ worth of packets and things like that. But when there are promotional items, [changes to food labelling] just get done overnight.”
Frame the debate on diet- and public health-related issues
“If you look at Coca Cola’s approach, then, it’s totally about “Look, you can run around and do this physical activity stuff, and then you can drink and eat as much sugary stuff as you want””“This has been the major proposal for the sugar sweetened beverages producers –emphasis on increased activity whilst not limiting or restraining their selling pitch.”
“During workshops, consultations, people from the food industry actually say those things. (…) They have shifted the burden, or blame, to the individual. I’ve directly heard this from one of the biggest food manufacturers in Fiji, from their big boss.”
Shape the evidence base on diet and public health-related issues
“There is Nestlé of course, […] they have a “Kana Vinaka” program. What they basically do is, the National Nutrition and Food Centre has come up with a healthy plate for Fiji, and in the healthy plate it tells you the amount of carbohydrates in pictorial form and they have a healthy pyramid. So what they have done is that they have taken that, and they have translated it in their version. So where there is supposed to be carbs, they put noodles as an option as well. […] They are going village to village, distributing flyers and teaching the community how to make a healthier version of noodles. […] My view on that is, in remote villages, from what we know, they have a very traditional diet practice, so if you are going into a village and you are telling them how to eat a healthier version of noodles, it’s basically… you are telling them to eat noodles.”“Nestlé were providing nutrition education in schools. They were coming to the schools, talking about good nutrition, how to eat healthy diets, and at the same time, giving children samples. And that involved providing cups and giving children samples of Milo - (…) yeah [cups] with the logo.”
“What they [the soft drink company] have done, they created a website on their own beverages. […] They pick up on one or two studies, which have flawed methodology, and they bring it, they share it among themselves, they bring it to conferences, they send us [public health advocates] the papers and they say “Oh but this study is saying this and this [in favour of the company’s products]””
“You see Coca Cola was trying to do this, they were forming a health committee to look at health, and they said “it’s going to be” [very helpful for public health advocates]… it’s just a hook; it’s a joke you know.”
Financial incentives strategy
“We know that because they [food companies] fund political parties […]. If you look at some of these major players in the food industry, there is a lot of talk about how they have been influencing and funding political parties over the years, for them to get all of the promotions and so on and so forth. (…) Because of the confidential nature of these things (…), I can’t name them…”
Constituency building strategy
Establish relationships with key health organisations and opinion leaders
Seek involvement in the community
“There is the “Twisties Smokehouse”, which is support given to the fire brigade […]. They have this big inflatable house, which is lovely, and they are taking it into the school, and the kids have to wriggle through and to show how they would escape from a home in the case of smoke and fire. But then, after the lesson, they will get a packet of Twisties. Really?”“The Milo Mile [outdoor exercise station], I feel at least there is a place for people to exercise and I’ve seen people use it. And they don’t have billboards over there, big billboards over there saying “oh this is Nestlé”, and “eat our products”, “eat more of our products”, or whatever. People probably don’t really even know the name of that thing. They just know it’s a station which they go and use. […] They are putting it in places where people are already walking or exercising. […] You don’t give resources to people who already have access to resources, that’s my argument.”
“They [food companies] say that’s corporate social responsibility, they market it that way. But if you look at what they do on a daily basis, in terms of their trade practices, it’s a different story. We always argue that corporate social responsibility should not be giving donations, but it should be your business practices rather than giving, donating.”
Establish relationships with policymakers
The Fijian Government has established a partnership with the Fiji Food Industry Group to help combat and reduce non communicable diseases in Fiji. […] These Companies are Nestle Trading Fiji Ltd, Coca-Cola Amatil, Motibhai Group, Food Processors Limited, Flour Mills of Fiji and McDonald’s. […] A joint working group has over seen the implementation of the action plans successfully with the food industry through consultations. This group includes multi-sectorial representation including retailers and the private sectors representatives. […] There has been widespread adoption and acceptance of the initiatives undertaken by the industry. The approach has also fostered a greater working relationship and closer ties with the Government to ensure effective collaboration is based on a partnership rather than the imposition of regulations. (A12, 26, 31, 37, 41, 45)
“They [food industry representatives] bring in their attorneys from the US [United States], from Australia, their nutritionists for New Zealand […] to say “well, you are not doing the right thing”.”“They [food industry representatives] are closely connected with senior government officials - people like the Prime Minister - and… they become colleagues and then they do some co-work in some other areas. What happens then is the manager or politician takes a soft stance on that [policies for NCD prevention].”
“We [the Ministry of Health] work with them [the food industry]. Five years back, there was not any “working with”. The government was that side and the food industry this side, but now, because of the consultations that have happened, we can easily sit together in a room and dialogue and talk. That has been something… a positive, constructive, that has come out from working with these food industries.”“Our [the Ministry of Health] focus has also shifted towards engaging closer with the industry (…), rather than taking this adversarial kind of relationship. We also try and engage them to come in, and for them to give us their views, for us to share with them our experiences.”
“The Ministry of Industry and Trade will always progress the initiatives of the food industry. They are there to assist them. So they might not be seeing what we [public health] are seeing. Because health is not their concern, their concern is trade, facilitating trade, at the cost of the health of the people, at the expense of the lives of our children and their health, they don’t see that.”
Establish relationships with the media
“[The food industry] do work with [the media] and they are a major source of advertising revenue for media organisations. […] Journalists get invited to launches and launching of products and cocktails and things. […] The link is there with the food industry, the advertising dollar becomes the major factor.”
Legal strategies
Use legal action (or the threat of) against public policies or opponents
“We were threatened [a few years ago]. Right at the eleventh hour, the day before we were supposed to go and present [our work], we started receiving faxes from some of the biggest and richest law firms in Fiji, who represent some of the big companies, mostly the local ones – not so much the international, but the local ones, because [what we had to say was compromising for them]. (…) And we had to withdraw our press releases at the eleventh hour. (…), because they actually threatened “if this goes public, we will [sue you].” [We] had to withdraw everything.”
Influence the development of trade and investment agreements
“They [food company representatives] do lobby and try to influence [trade agreements], but that’s more from protecting our local industry, so it’s not something bad, it’s something good, that we support. They do work, they do raise their concerns in the interests of the local industry, to protect our local industry.”
Policy substitution strategy
“”Some of the major food companies in Fiji have undertaken initiatives in voluntarily reducing the levels of sodium, fat and sugar.” […] Specific guidelines are being introduced around marketing of food and beverages for children; this is so that providing children with a healthy diet is fully supported by parents.” (A11, 25, 30, 36, 40, 44)
“Well, regulation is always the last thing: that is, if they [the food industry] don’t want to meet us [the government] on equal grounds, then we regulate. But it will be good if they do that themselves, they self-regulate, or voluntarily, but the thing is they are benchmarking according to their own standards. It won’t work.”
“[The Memorandum of Understanding from soft drink companies] was done primarily to try and avert from the path the Ministry of Health has been pursuing, which is to regulate marketing of food to children. […]. And it has been 18/19 months, and there has still been nothing [no action to reduce marketing to children], because there is nothing to report. But it’s a clear stance that they have taken, and they’ve marketed it a lot, and they say that this is their way forward. […] They are supposed to be monitoring that themselves and to be reporting to the Ministry of Health. And the Ministry of Health has written to the group on a number of occasions, saying “Hello! Where is the report?” – nothing.”
“They [the food companies] say they are doing stuff [reformulation of products], but there are ways in which they are doing it. They [do reformulation] on the least consumed products, and they heavily market it, so that becomes marketing in terms of increasing consumption of the product as well.”
“We [the government] just want to go voluntary, because we know that it will have some trade issues and we really want [to not interfere with trade], because Fiji is a growing economy, so we are very mindful of that.”
Opposition fragmentation and destabilisation strategy
“Why I am sitting here [in this kind of job] today? There were some groups of people [associated with the food industry] who wanted me out [of government]. There were various representations high up the line where they didn’t like the things which were happening”
Value of monitoring the CPA of the food industry
“[Information on the practices used by food companies] would be an advantage, not only to the Ministry of Health, but right up to other Ministries. I guess also right up to the community level, that information would be very useful.”
“I guess that the issue would be that certainly here and smaller countries, that we don’t have the rules around the release of public information and things like that. So I’m not sure that you are going to get the information that you would need in order to be able to monitor [the CPA of the food industry]”“I think as a first level strategy in Fiji, the best information is actually going to come from going and talking to people in those agencies and groups, as well as looking at websites, but there is not going to be as much information as you might like, or as many websites as you might like to support that kind of review.”