Introduction In 2024, an estimated 31.9% of the global population could not afford a healthy diet, including 28.1% in Asia. Unhealthy diets are responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths from noncommunicable diseases, contributing to roughly 11 million deaths annually. These figures indicate an important development challenge: Improving diets depends not only on individual choice but also on the environments in which those choices are made. Food environments, defined as the physical, economic, political, and sociocultural contexts that shape how people access and consume food, play a decisive role in determining dietary outcomes. When unhealthy foods are cheaper, more visible, and aggressively marketed, they become the default option. Conversely, when healthier foods are accessible, affordable, and supported by policy, better diets become more achievable. These environments increasingly extend beyond national borders. Limits of National Policies in Shaping Food Environments Across Asia, food environments are shaped by cross-border dynamics. Trade liberalization and the expansion of multinational food companies have transformed food systems. The rapid growth of modern retail has reinforced this shift. Ultra-processed foods, often high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, are now widely available, competitively priced, and heavily promoted across the region. What is produced, marketed, and regulated in one country often affects consumption patterns in another. Regional supply chains allow ultra-processed foods to circulate widely, often outpacing national regulatory frameworks. Ccross-border marketing, especially through digital platforms, exposes consumers (particularly children) to advertising beyond domestic regulatory reach. Likewise, differences in policies between countries create regulatory loopholes where weaker standards in one country undermine stricter policies in another. Recent data show these shifts. In parts of South Asia, nearly 75% of adults report consuming ultra-processed foods, which account for 13–17% of total energy intake. At the same time, rising urbanization and retail transformation are accelerating dietary transitions toward more processed, convenience-based foods. These dynamics indicate a policy constraint: countries acting alone cannot fully control the food environments shaping their populations’ diets. The Case for Regional Cooperation If the drivers of unhealthy diets are transnational, policy responses must also operate at a regional level. Regional cooperation can address three key gaps that national policies struggle to resolve: Regulatory alignment: Divergent standards on labeling, marketing, and product composition create inconsistencies that industry can exploit. Harmonizing policies, such as front-of-pack nutrition labeling or restrictions on marketing to children, can reduce gaps in regulations and provide clearer signals to both consumers and producers. Influencing food supply and prices: Regional platforms can influence food supply chains by aligning incentives for healthier products. Coordinated approaches to procurement, trade standards, or fiscal measures can shift the availability and affordability of nutritious foods across multiple countries simultaneously. Shared knowledge and capacity: Many countries face similar challenges but operate with uneven technical and institutional capacity. Regional cooperation enables faster diffusion of evidence-based policies, reduces duplication, and supports more effective implementation through peer learning. Some progress is already underway. Initiatives such as the ASEAN Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling demonstrate how regional frameworks can support consumer protection while facilitating trade. However, these efforts remain fragmented and limited in scope relative to the scale of the challenge. From Coordination to Action: The Role of Regional Platforms To improve coordination across existing efforts, regional cooperation must evolve from dialogue to coordinated action. This requires platforms that can generate context-specific evidence across countries, translate research into policy-relevant insights, build technical capacity for implementation, and facilitate sustained engagement between governments, researchers, and other stakeholders. Initiatives such as SHAPE-Asia provide a regional model for coordination. Supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), SHAPE-Asia brings together stakeholders from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand to address food environment challenges collectively. The initiative focuses not only in convening actors, but in tackling a regional gap: the lack of coordinated, evidence-driven approaches to food environment policy. The initiative operates across three strategic areas: (1) establishing structures and frameworks; (2) evidence collection and analysis; and (3) advocacy and scaling. By linking countries facing similar challenges, SHAPE-Asia enables practical learning and accelerates policy adoption. It addresses the gap between national action and regional coordination, an area where many efforts have historically fallen short. Key Policy Actions Greater focus and coordination may improve the effectiveness of regional cooperation. Three priorities stand out: Expand regulatory harmonization: Advance region-wide standards on nutrition labeling, marketing restrictions, and product reformulation to reduce policy fragmentation. Strengthen regional governance mechanisms: Move beyond voluntary guidelines toward more structured coordination platforms that can support implementation and accountability. Invest in regional public goods: Support initiatives like SHAPE-Asia that generate shared evidence, build capacity, and enable cross-country learning at scale. Conclusion Asia’s food environments are being reshaped by forces that transcend national borders. While countries retain a central role in policy design and implementation, their ability to influence diets is increasingly constrained by regional and global dynamics. Addressing this challenge involves a shift from isolated national efforts to coordinated regional action. By aligning policies, sharing knowledge, and strengthening collective capacity, countries in Asia can reshape food environments in ways that make healthy diets not just possible, but accessible and sustainable for all. Resources C. Turner et al. 2020. Food Environment Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review. Advances in Nutrition. 11 (2). 387-397. D. Bhagtani et al. 2025. Quantification of Regional Variation in Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Its Sociodemographic Correlates Across Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka: Insights from the South Asia Biobank. The Lancet Regional Health. Southeast Asia, 39, 100633. FAO; IFAD; UNICEF; WFP; WHO. 2025. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025: Addressing high food price inflation for food security and nutrition. Rome: FAO; IFAD; UNICEF; WFP; WHO P. Baker and S. Friel. 2016. Food Systems Transformations, Ultra-Processed Food Markets and the Nutrition Transition in Asia. Global Health. Vol. 12. Art. 80. World Health Organization. 2022. Food Marketing Exposure and Power and Their Associations with Food-Related Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviours: A Narrative Review. Geneva: World Health Organization. Ask the Experts Sunimalee Madurawala Research Economist, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka Sunimalee Madurawala is a Research Economist at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, with nearly two decades of experience in economic research. Her work spans several areas, including gender, health economics, education, and labor. She has also served as a consultant for bilateral and multilateral agencies, as well as private foundations. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka is an autonomous economic research organization, established by an Act of Parliament, in Colombo. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent, policy-relevant research to provide robust evidence for policymaking and improve the lives of all Sri Lankans. Leave your question or comment in the section below: View the discussion thread.