ABSTRACT
Food systems are diverse, made up of smallholder farmers, artisanal bakeries, transnational chemical manufacturers, mega-supermarkets and multinational restaurants. Yet, a small number of powerful food corporations dominate most sectors of global and national food systems, and these corporations have a substantial impact on the quality of the food supply and people’s diets. This chapter focuses on the large food manufacturing and fast-food corporations – often referred to as ‘Big Food’ – that produce ultra-processed foods. These companies face growing scrutiny over their links to health, environmental and human rights harms. Policies designed to reduce the production and consumption of ultra-processed foods present a threat to the business status quo of Big Food. We contrast two strategies Big Food companies have used to respond to these threats: opposition and appeasement. The first seeks to block public health policies, while the second aims to present the food industry as ‘part of the solution’. We argue that these strategies protect the interests of powerful food corporations at the expense of public health.
