A comparative analysis of food retail policy landscape in four Southeast Asian countries

Abstract

Changing food retail environment in Southeast Asia has been linked with nutrition transition. While policy on food retail tends to focus on economic considerations, little is known about how nutrition considerations are integrated. This paper examines the landscape of policies addressing food retail and health in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand to inform global nutrition targets. Food retail policy landscapes in the study countries were thematically analyzed using Walt & Gilson's Policy Analysis Triangle framework. The analysis revealed that food retail policies were predominantly shaped by health, economic development, and politics, with nutrition maintaining low salience and being subsumed within food safety considerations. The study countries represented a complex food policy landscape requiring inter-sectoral collaboration and multi-level governance, yet formal monitoring mechanisms and evidence remained limited. This study recommends developing a comprehensive regional-level roadmap to support healthy food retail initiatives. By aligning nutrition priorities with existing economic and health governance systems, countries can better implement nutrition-sensitive retail policies.