title: The development of food and nutrition policy in Australia, with special attention to the State of Victoria.
abstract: Only 6% of Australia's workforce is engaged in agriculture but the country produces enough food for around 35 million people - more than half of them purchasers of exports. The federal political system includes 6 states and 2 territories, with states having responsibility for many aspects of health and agricultural policy. During the 1950s and 1960s Australia experienced a marked rise in ischaemic heart disease and death rates in middle aged men rose. With the onset of the economic slowdown in the 1970s, governments also looked to preventive measures to contain health service costs. In 1979 the Commonwealth Department of Health adopted 8 non-quantitative dietary guidelines and in 1986 a national Better Health Commission recommended a coordinated program to change dietary habits. Developments in Victoria were stimulated by a conference on 'Agriculture and human nutrition' in 1983. Following this a report 'Making healthy choices easy choices: towards a food and nutrition policy for Victoria' was released in November 1984 and the state government began a Food and Nutrition Project to stimulate intersectoral activity to promote lower risk eating patterns. In March 1987 the Victorian government formally adopted a food and nutrition policy and established an Interdepartmental Committee on Food and Nutrition with representation for Health, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Education and Industry, Technology and Resources and a Food and Nutrition Community Consultative Group. Increasing financial stringency in the late 1980s was fortuitously offset by the availability of funds from the Victorian Health Promotional Foundation, funded by a 10% surtax on tobacco.
authors: Department of Community Medicine, University of Adelaide Medical School, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Powles
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: Wahlqvist
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Robbins
authors: C
authors: C
authors: King
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Hicks