Six Cities Exchange Solutions to Advance Food Policy
Public health experts come together in Quezon City, Philippines to share strategies on advancing food policies that improve health
When urban health officials from Amman, Bandung, Colombo, Jakarta, Muscat and Quezon City met in September, they arrived with a common goal: Increase access to healthy food in schools and other public spaces, making nutritious options the easiest options in their rapidly growing cities. By learning from each other's experiences, they’re accelerating progress.
Take Bandung, Indonesia. Data shows 30% of city residents consume diets high in sugar, salt and fat, while high obesity rates are also raising concerns. For local public health officials, focusing on prevention is crucial. The city recently launched a new school food initiative that is transforming what students eat—replacing ultra-processed foods like sugary biscuits and drinks with wholesome options such as boiled sweet potatoes and fresh fruit juices, and introducing nutritious local dishes like Soto Bandung (a clear soup with rice) that help children grow healthy and strong.
Quezon City, the workshop’s host, is also leading the way. Here, dining out regularly involves fast-food and ultra processed products high in salt, fat, and sugar—foods known to contribute to increased rates of diabetes and heart disease. Last year, the city passed a new Calorie Labeling Ordinance, the first in Southeast Asia. From restaurants to local fast-food chains, vendors are now required to include calories on every menu item, giving people better insight into what they’re eating before they order. For the city’s public health officials, collaboration with different agencies, community groups, and community members has been paramount.
Participants were given a firsthand look at how food procurement is applied in real-world settings.
This photo was taken in the kitchen of a local Youth Center where children and staff were preparing meals for lunch. Under the new food procurement approach, the center is replacing instant noodles with more nutritious options that are local such as rice and potatoes.
The Partnership for Healthy Cities was instrumental to Quezon City. We aligned this ordinance with different evidence-based strategies to ensure we’ll be implementing an effective policy. With the Partnership’s networking between cities, we continue to learn, unlearn, and re-learn strategies that would help us in our policy implementation journey.
Calorie labeling on menus is just one example of a growing number of local efforts Quezon City is taking to improve food environments. During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to see how stronger food procurement rules are leading to healthier meals in local youth centers and primary schools, and met the students, teachers and kitchen staff who are helping make it happen.
Explore in the gallery below:
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1 of 2 Juhi Gautam, Senior Manager for the Partnership for Healthy Cities speaks with a teacher from a local elementary about the school’s new food procurement approach, which emphasizes preparing and serving fresh locally grown vegetables to students. -
2 of 2 A teacher at a local elementary school showcases one of the plants from the school’s garden to Mrs Sooriya Arachchige Nirodhani Pathiraja, Director (Development) of Colombo Municipal Council Colombo City’s representative.
This event reaffirmed the vital role cities play in adopting the policies that change what is on people’s plates. Armed with new ideas to advance policies in their own contexts, local public health leaders at this workshop are ready to turn lessons into action that make an impact on urban health.
Representatives from Jakarta, Indonesia. In the picture: drg. Nuniek Ria Sundari and Ananda from Jakarta Health Office, and Olivia and Fachrial from CISDI, implementing partner of Jakarta city.
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