Food trade and investment

What are the impacts of trade and investment agreements on the healthiness of food environments?


This module aims to examine how trade factors influence food environments in Canada. The liberalisation of international trade and foreign direct investment through multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements has had profound implications for the structure and nature of food systems, and therefore, for the availability, nutritional quality, accessibility, price and promotion of foods in different locations. Information on tariffs applied to 'healthy' food vs. the 'less healthy' food categories; import and export volumes of 'healthy'/'less healthy' foods; import quotas and commitments regarding agricultural domestic support and foreign investment related to the food processing, retailing, and advertising industry are collected. 

Module leader

Ashley Schram