“Favoring those who contributed to their political campaigns”

An analysis of the incentives received by the food industry in Colombia in the period of 2018—2020

Bibliographic Data

ID19534326
AuthorsM Duque (0000-0001-8826-6644, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia), María Alejandra Niño Duque, Emanuel Orozco Núñez (Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública), Eliana María Pérez Tamayo (0000-0002-2086-3626, Universidad de Antioquia), Mélissa Mialon (0000-0002-9883-6441, Inserm), Eric Crosbie (0000-0002-6219-298X, University of Nevada, Reno), Christian Paul Torres de la Rosa (Partido State University)
Year2025
Volume21
Issue1
Pages29-29
Publication date2025-05-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobalization and Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-8603 • E-ISSN: 1744-8603
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/s12992-025-01123-6
PMID40389985
OpenAlexW4410494161
LanguageEN
References cited33

The food industry is a very influential actor in public health policies in Colombia. In particular, industry incentives, such as financial donations and other gifts to political parties, can help develop future alliances and initiate an exchange of favors. The objective of this study was to analyze the incentives granted by the food industry to policymakers in Colombia from 2018-2020 and to understand how these incentives could affect public health policy in the country. An analysis of interest groups was carried out via qualitative methods, which was carried out in six stages: i) a documentary review of information and a content analysis of digital social networks; ii) the identification and characterization of actors in the food industry and decision makers; iii) twenty semi-structured interviews with key actors identified in previous stage); iv) characterization of the types and mechanisms through which incentives are provided; v) a mapping of actors; and vi) the reporting of results. Food industry actors, mainly at the national level, were identified as incentive providers to Colombia's government officials in the executive and legislative branches. We identified six types of incentives: financing electoral campaigns, financial donations, in-kind support, gifts, entertainment, and travel. Our analysis shows that the incentives of the food industry in Colombia can help influence the processes of formulation and implementation of food and nutritional public policies

Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Incentive · Market economy · Political science · Politics · Public health · Social policy · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Medicine