Bangkok: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is spearheading efforts to enhance its urban food policy by integrating health, economic, and environmental dimensions, as discussed in a recent meeting chaired by Dr. Lertlak Leelaruangsaeng, the Deputy Permanent Secretary. The meeting, which included Mr. Pornprom Wikitseth, Advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, and other key executives, focused on the progress of the Bangkok Food Policy 2023-2027.
According to Thai News Agency, the policy builds upon initiatives started in 2021 when Bangkok joined the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). The presentation at the meeting highlighted a significant finding from a million-person health checkup project, revealing that 56% of urban residents are overweight with high cholesterol, posing risks of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. The proposal to incorporate 'Lifestyle Medicine' aims to foster smart eating habits and improve citizens' health span in alignment with life expectancy.
Advisor Pornprom stressed the importance of integrating efforts across various agencies to prevent isolated operations. The policy's enhancement is proposed in four dimensions: linking food with wellness tourism under the Health Dimension, transforming food banks into "Food Bank Kitchens" for economic relief, reducing food transportation distances to cut pollution under the Environmental Dimension, and managing food waste for composting in the Circular Economy Dimension.
The meeting also reviewed progress in seven key areas of the Bangkok Food Policy 2023-2027, ranging from strengthening urban food production to promoting nutrition knowledge and ensuring good governance. The framework for the next phase of the policy was discussed, with the Office of Strategy and Evaluation designated as the secretariat to improve data integration and foster robust collaboration among agencies.