Sugar in Australia: A Food Systems Approach

The George Institute for Global Health global thought leadership program seeks to challenge the status quo and foster the kind of debates and discussions that lead to positive changes in health outcomes in a range of strategic focus areas, such as promoting healthy environments.

In Australia much of the debate around sugar to date has focussed on a sugar tax, a concept which is often polarising and where we haven’t seen much progress. It could also be argued that it is only a small part of a bigger problem. With this in mind, The George Institute commissioned a report, “Sugar in Australia: A Food System Approach. Competing Issues, Diverse Voices, and Rethinking Pathways to a Sustainable Transition”, with the objective of broadening the debate through investigating different sides of sugar in Australia from a food systems-perspective.

The report was launched at a breakfast meeting in Sydney on 20th February 2020. The report’s author, Vanessa Clarkson, presented the findings followed by a lively discussion chaired by Professor Bruce Neal and attended by 50 delegates from across health, environmental and food industry sectors. Further information on planned next steps will be posted here in March.

Also read Sweet Transition: Priorities for collaborating to transform the food system in Australia