Exploring the development of and public support for healthy and planet-friendly food marketing policies: co-designing meat marketing restrictions

Current patterns in the production and consumption of food are resulting in poor health and environmental outcomes. Since marketing influences food choices, using policies to change food marketing could encourage healthier, planet-friendly diets. Some local governments are already considering marketing polices for foods that have significant health or environmental impacts (e.g., meat advertising restrictions in the Netherlands). In this award, I will work with stakeholders to explore the design, impact, and public support for equivalent healthy and planet-friendly food marketing policies in the UK. First, I will assess the extent of advertising for meat-containing products. Second, I will explore the factors that support or obstruct the development of advertising restrictions for meat-containing products in the Netherlands. Third, I will develop theory about the long-term changes to the UK food system that marketing restrictions for meat-containing products may cause. Fourth, I will estimate how public support for marketing restrictions for meat-containing products varies by the attributes and framing of policies. Finally, I will use research from the award to hold citizens’ juries to understand which, if any, marketing restriction for meat-containing products the UK public would support. I will use my findings to support policymakers with policy development and implementation.