Amerita Ravuvu
Biographic Data
| ID | 6586627 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Amerita Ravuvu |
| GIVEN NAMES | Amerita |
| FAMILY NAME | Ravuvu |
| SIGNATURE | RAVUVU A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of the South Pacific |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8135-0560 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 2 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Sugar, power and policy
BACKGROUND: In 2006, the Fiji Government introduced a 0.05FJ$ (0.03USD) per litre excise tax on domestically produced sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Since then, the tax has been abandoned, reintroduced, or adjusted at least ten times, while tariffs on imported SSBs have also undergone reform. These rapid iterations of Fiji's SSB tax raise questions about which interests and motivations underpin the tax, what instigated the multiple adjustments…
Watered down
Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Vanuatu and Fiji are praised for their alignment with the World Health Organization’s noncommunicable diseases Best Buy policy recommendations. SSB taxes also intersect with economic, trade and commercial interests as well as complex domestic and international power dynamics. Yet, to date, the role of these broader interests and power dynamics in shaping SSB tax adoption in Vanuatu and Fiji has remaine…
Protecting children from unhealthy food marketing
Restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children is a globally recommended policy measure to improve diets and health. The aim of the analysis was to identify opportunities to enable policy learning and shift beliefs of relevant actors, to engender policy progress on restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods to children. We drew on the Advocacy Coalition Framework to thematically analyse data from qualitative policy inter…
Scaling up food pricing policies in the Pacific
There are calls for governments around the world to adopt pricing policies, including taxes, subsidies and price controls that ensure all people have access to, and can afford, healthy diets. Despite the strong potential of pricing policies to promote healthy diets and to support a post-COVID-19 recovery, there are gaps in evidence with regard to ‘how’ to design and apply effective food taxes in practice, and countries report challenges in naviga…
Catalysing sustainable development through regional food system governance
Recent food system shocks and increasing climate change exposures highlight the urgency of strengthening food systems at different scales, including global, regional and national, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper investigated opportunities to strengthen the translation of regional food system policy guidance to the national level in the Pacific Island region. We applied a theory‐informed, empirical study design, based on i…
Food trade among Pacific Island countries and territories
BACKGROUND: There is growing attention to intra-regional trade in food. However, the relationship between such trade and food and nutrition is understudied. In this paper, we present an analysis of intra-regional food trade in the Pacific region, where there are major concerns regarding the nutritional implications of international food trade. Using a new regional database, we examine trends in food trade among Pacific Island Counties and Territo…
Analysing the impact of trade agreements on national food environments
BACKGROUND: A large body of literature exists on trade liberalisation and the ways in which trade agreements can affect food systems. However, the systematic and objective monitoring of these and their impact on national food environments has been limited. Using a case study, this paper undertakes a systematic analysis of how Vanuatu's obligations under WTO agreements has impacted its food environment. RESULTS: Data collection was guided by the I…
The political economy of restricting marketing to address the double burden of malnutrition
Objective: To draw lessons from Fiji regarding the challenges and opportunities for policy initiatives to restrict (i) food marketing to children and (ii) marketing of breast milk substitutes, to inform policy for the double burden of malnutrition. Design: Qualitative political economy analysis of two policy case studies. Setting: Fiji. Participants: Eleven key informants from relevant sectors, representing public health, economic and consumer in…
Baseline status of policy and legislation actions to address non communicable diseases crisis in the Pacific
This baseline assessment fills a knowledge gap on current strengths and areas where more action is needed to scale up NCD action in a sustained 'whole of government and whole of society approach' in PICTs. The findings of this assessment can be used to identify priority actions, and as a mutual accountability mechanism to track progress on implementation of NCD policy and legislation at both national and Pacific level
Nutrition policy-making in Fiji
Many low- and middle-income countries experience a double burden of malnutrition and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Existing scholarship highlights adverse impacts of neoliberalism on nutrition, including the influence of laissez-faire economics on reshaping food systems and neoliberalism’s ideological emphasis on personal responsibility for healthy lifestyles. Yet how nutrition policy-makers in the Global South experience and…
Protocol to monitor trade agreement food-related aspects
Despite the growing rates of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases, globally, public health attention has only relatively recently turned to the links between trade agreements and the nutritional risks associated with it. Specific trade agreements appear to have played an influential role in the volume and types of foods entering different countries, yet there is currently no systematic and objective monitoring of trade agreements fo…
Monitoring the impact of trade agreements on national food environments
BACKGROUND: Trade agreements are increasingly recognised as playing an influential role in shaping national food environments and the availability and nutritional quality of the food supply. Global monitoring of food environments and trade policies can strengthen the evidence base for the impact of trade policy on nutrition, and support improved policy coherence. Using the INFORMAS trade monitoring protocol, we reviewed available food supply data…
Catalysing sustainable development through regional food system governance
Recent food system shocks and increasing climate change exposures highlight the urgency of strengthening food systems at different scales, including global, regional and national, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper investigated opportunities to strengthen the translation of regional food system policy guidance to the national level in the Pacific Island region. We applied a theory‐informed, empirical study design, based on i…
Monitoring the impact of trade agreements on national food environments
BACKGROUND: Trade agreements are increasingly recognised as playing an influential role in shaping national food environments and the availability and nutritional quality of the food supply. Global monitoring of food environments and trade policies can strengthen the evidence base for the impact of trade policy on nutrition, and support improved policy coherence. Using the INFORMAS trade monitoring protocol, we reviewed available food supply data…
Protocol to monitor trade agreement food-related aspects
Despite the growing rates of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases, globally, public health attention has only relatively recently turned to the links between trade agreements and the nutritional risks associated with it. Specific trade agreements appear to have played an influential role in the volume and types of foods entering different countries, yet there is currently no systematic and objective monitoring of trade agreements fo…
Nutrition policy-making in Fiji
Many low- and middle-income countries experience a double burden of malnutrition and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Existing scholarship highlights adverse impacts of neoliberalism on nutrition, including the influence of laissez-faire economics on reshaping food systems and neoliberalism’s ideological emphasis on personal responsibility for healthy lifestyles. Yet how nutrition policy-makers in the Global South experience and…
Baseline status of policy and legislation actions to address non communicable diseases crisis in the Pacific
This baseline assessment fills a knowledge gap on current strengths and areas where more action is needed to scale up NCD action in a sustained 'whole of government and whole of society approach' in PICTs. The findings of this assessment can be used to identify priority actions, and as a mutual accountability mechanism to track progress on implementation of NCD policy and legislation at both national and Pacific level
Analysing the impact of trade agreements on national food environments
BACKGROUND: A large body of literature exists on trade liberalisation and the ways in which trade agreements can affect food systems. However, the systematic and objective monitoring of these and their impact on national food environments has been limited. Using a case study, this paper undertakes a systematic analysis of how Vanuatu's obligations under WTO agreements has impacted its food environment. RESULTS: Data collection was guided by the I…
The political economy of restricting marketing to address the double burden of malnutrition
Objective: To draw lessons from Fiji regarding the challenges and opportunities for policy initiatives to restrict (i) food marketing to children and (ii) marketing of breast milk substitutes, to inform policy for the double burden of malnutrition. Design: Qualitative political economy analysis of two policy case studies. Setting: Fiji. Participants: Eleven key informants from relevant sectors, representing public health, economic and consumer in…
Food trade among Pacific Island countries and territories
BACKGROUND: There is growing attention to intra-regional trade in food. However, the relationship between such trade and food and nutrition is understudied. In this paper, we present an analysis of intra-regional food trade in the Pacific region, where there are major concerns regarding the nutritional implications of international food trade. Using a new regional database, we examine trends in food trade among Pacific Island Counties and Territo…
Protecting children from unhealthy food marketing
Restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children is a globally recommended policy measure to improve diets and health. The aim of the analysis was to identify opportunities to enable policy learning and shift beliefs of relevant actors, to engender policy progress on restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods to children. We drew on the Advocacy Coalition Framework to thematically analyse data from qualitative policy inter…
Scaling up food pricing policies in the Pacific
There are calls for governments around the world to adopt pricing policies, including taxes, subsidies and price controls that ensure all people have access to, and can afford, healthy diets. Despite the strong potential of pricing policies to promote healthy diets and to support a post-COVID-19 recovery, there are gaps in evidence with regard to ‘how’ to design and apply effective food taxes in practice, and countries report challenges in naviga…
Catalysing sustainable development through regional food system governance
Recent food system shocks and increasing climate change exposures highlight the urgency of strengthening food systems at different scales, including global, regional and national, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper investigated opportunities to strengthen the translation of regional food system policy guidance to the national level in the Pacific Island region. We applied a theory‐informed, empirical study design, based on i…
Watered down
Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Vanuatu and Fiji are praised for their alignment with the World Health Organization’s noncommunicable diseases Best Buy policy recommendations. SSB taxes also intersect with economic, trade and commercial interests as well as complex domestic and international power dynamics. Yet, to date, the role of these broader interests and power dynamics in shaping SSB tax adoption in Vanuatu and Fiji has remaine…
Sugar, power and policy
BACKGROUND: In 2006, the Fiji Government introduced a 0.05FJ$ (0.03USD) per litre excise tax on domestically produced sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Since then, the tax has been abandoned, reintroduced, or adjusted at least ten times, while tariffs on imported SSBs have also undergone reform. These rapid iterations of Fiji's SSB tax raise questions about which interests and motivations underpin the tax, what instigated the multiple adjustments…
Economics (11 works) · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology (11 works) · Business (9 works) · Political science (8 works) · Medicine (6 works) · Economic growth (5 works) · Geography (5 works) · International trade (5 works) · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs (5 works) · Food security (4 works)