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Front-of-package food labelling (FOPL) is a mechanism to inform consumers on food nutrients content and risks for health. Each country, within its own institutional framework, defines methods and protocols to formulate rules capable of influencing organizations and the behavior of agents. The paper aims at evaluating the role of some meso-institutions in shaping arenas for policymaking on FOPL based on an exploratory study in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. A documental analysis and literature review were employed, followed by in-depth interviews. The relevant aspects of FOPL assessed were thresholds for sugar, fats, and sodium; marketing restrictions, and timeframe given for compliance with the new rules. The contribution of this article is to illuminate the way in which meso-institutions operate in a specific context, namely the development of food labelling standards. The focus is to find the rules that allowed the participation of stakeholders in the process of defining normative acts intended to regulate food labelling. The discussion of mandatory FOPL can be interpreted as a struggle to define proper rights for the food industry and the consumer. Meso-institutions, as translators of general normative principles in specific contexts, can encourage or restrict stakeholder participation in policymaking. Besides political arena, the participation can be done in other arenas, such as legislature, regulatory agencies, scientific community, media and public opinion. Institutions that encourage stakeholder participation increase the probability of obtaining widely accepted specific rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study examines the understudied historical evolution of the seafood value chain in southern Brazil by analysing newspaper articles from Santa Catarina state, published between 1855 and 2019. Methods: Through a meticulous review of 598 selected articles, we reconstruct the development and transformation of small-scale fisheries (SSF) and their interaction with the emerging industrial fishing sector. Results and discussion: Our findings highlight the central role of SSF in the seafood value chain, contributing significantly to production, processing, retail, and trade, despite increasing competition and challenges from industrial fishing and aquaculture. The analysis reveals shifts in fish species targeted, processing methods employed, market dynamics, and consumption patterns over time. Notably, the study uncovers the resilience and adaptability of SSF in maintaining their importance to local economies and food security, amidst technological, economic, and regulatory changes. Furthermore, it underscores the often-overlooked contributions of women in seafood value chains, advocating for their equitable recognition. By providing a comprehensive and multi-faceted historical perspective, this research can inform contemporary policy-making, aiming to foster more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable seafood value chains in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources. Research question: What actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil? Methods: We selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework. Results: The panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey. Discussion: Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]