All Victorians should have physical and economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe and culturally appropriate foods, at all times and in a dignified manner.
All Victorians should have the opportunity to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Yet the ability to do so is often undermined by a combination of food system factors. The availability, ease of access and marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods, time pressures that make convenience foods appealing, relatively high cost of healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables and disconnection to food and how it is produced, are all forces that influence and shape our diets.
A transformation of the food system is needed to one that is healthy, fair and sustainable for human and environmental health. VicHealth has a long history in supporting partners to promote healthy food that is available, accessible and affordable.
Over the next three years, VicHealth will focus on three key priority areas. We will continue to promote changes across the food system that make healthier eating easier for Victoria and advocate for healthy and sustainable food systems. Alongside this, we will support partners to create healthy food environments and remove unhealthy food and sugary drinks from retail outlets. Supporting infants and children to get the best nutritional start to life, in order to support better long-term health and educational outcomes, will also be a focus.