Abstract
This commentary describes insights from Star Trek’s fictional television series to understand how state and non-state actors address conflicts of interest (COIs) through global nutrition governance. I examine the findings of Ralston and colleagues for 44 state and non-state actors who responded to the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) consultation for a COI risk-assessment tool, developed for member states to engage effectively with non-state actors to address malnutrition in all forms. Star Trek reveals that actor engagement is inevitable in a shared universe. The Prime Directive is a non-interference principle reflecting a moral commitment to reduce harm, respect autonomy and protect rights. Engagement principles are relevant to all actors who influence nutrition policies and programs, and must be held accountable when their actions undermine healthy and sustainable food systems. Certain actors use COI to justify non-engagement with commercial actors yet competing interests, biases, corruption and regulatory capture are distinct challenges to manage. Finally, Star Trek’s characters serve as allegories to understand actors’ motives and actions to promote healthy and sustainable food systems. Unlike non-state actors, states are legally required to achieve their commitments and targets in the United Nations’ (UN) Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda.
Highlights
In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) was directed by the World Health Assembly to develop a riskassessment tool to enable member states to safeguard nutrition policies and programs from conflicts of interest (COIs),[1] and achieve the WHO’s goal to ensure effective nutrition actions to end malnutrition in all forms by 2030.2 Malnutrition is caused by “eating too little food, too much food, the wrong combination of foods, foods with no or little nutritional value, and foods contaminated with diseasecausing microbes.”[2]. After an extensive review, the WHO released the conflict of interest. Sources (COI) risk-assessment tool (Table 1)[1] to guide state’s decisions to engage effectively with non-state actors and promote healthy and sustainable food systems
Friel et al[5] define global nutrition governance as “the process by which impact on nutrition by non-nutrition policies is leveraged or mitigated by a network of actors.”. They identified three prevailing global nutrition governance challenges: achieving policy coherence across many government sectors that affect nutrition; clarifying actor responsibility for nutrition; and developing effective mechanisms to hold all actors accountable for actions that impact nutrition.[5]. This commentary explores insights from Star Trek’s fictional television series to understand the motives and actions of state and non-state actors who responded to the WHO consultation
All 14 commercial-sector entities that responded to the WHO’s consultation were either business or industry trade associations that opposed the COI risk-assessment tool perceived as preventing partnerships.[3]
Summary
In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) was directed by the World Health Assembly to develop a riskassessment tool to enable member states to safeguard nutrition policies and programs from conflicts of interest (COIs),[1] and achieve the WHO’s goal to ensure effective nutrition actions to end malnutrition in all forms by 2030.2 Malnutrition is caused by “eating too little food, too much food, the wrong combination of foods, foods with no or little nutritional value, and foods contaminated with diseasecausing microbes.”[2].
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