From Access to Choice: How WFP is Driving Better Diets Through Behavior Change

Healthy consumption habits play a crucial role in food security because they influence not only what we eat, but also how food systems respond to demand. When people have access to and choose more nutritious, diverse, and locally produced foods, it supports more sustainable agriculture, reduces waste, and strengthens communities. Promoting better food choices is therefore not just about individual health—it is a key part of building resilient food systems that can feed everyone, today and in the future.

Latin America and the Caribbean: the poverty-obesity paradox

Latin America and the Caribbean face the world's highest cost of a healthy diet, while grappling with the double burden of malnutrition, which contributes to an annual GDP loss of up to 16%. The region has made important progress in reducing hunger, but a new challenge is emerging: nearly one in three adults is now living with obesity and, for the first time, more children are overweight than underweight. 

Some governments are taking action to shape healthier consumption habits—introducing taxes on ultra-processed food, restricting advertising of unhealthy products during family viewing hours, and requiring clear front-of-package nutrition labels to help consumers make more informed choices.

“We’re working hard to improve food supply, but a growing challenge lies in consumption habits—especially when junk food is often more accessible and affordable.”, said Lena Savelli, WFP Regional Director in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Making the healthy choice is not always the easy choice. That’s why clear information, education, and smart policies are essential to help families navigate what they buy and eat, and to ensure that healthier options become both visible and within reach.”

Across the region, WFP supports initiatives that bring social change to scale by embedding social and behavioural change communications in national programs. In Guatemala, the Generación Chispuda program promotes improved food choices among the population. In Honduras, cartoons like Lita (milk) and Lito (fortified beans) teach schoolchildren and parents about balanced diets, while reinforcing food procurement from local farmers. In Cuba, WFP promotes healthier diets and resilience by leveraging local foods and turning social protection programs into engines of lasting behavior change. In Venezuela, community-designed resources like NutriPedia encourage household decision-making on nutrition while advancing inclusion and gender equity. In Ecuador, behavior change initiatives promote healthy eating among children through arts, as in the Buque Azar experience—a transformed grounded ship turned into a cultural hub that uses art for nutrition awareness.

Asia and the Pacific: behavior change for healthier diets 

Across Asia and the Pacific, WFP is strengthening links between food assistance, food fortification and social and behaviour change to help people make healthier food choices. WFP is working to address barriers to the uptake of fortified foods and to help ensure that investments in food systems lead to better diets.

WFP is also using behaviourally informed approaches to strengthen the impact of its programmes. In Cambodia, game-based activities in schools help children build healthier eating habits and influence food choices at home. In Lao PDR, linking cash-based transfers with Farmer Nutrition Schools helps rural families diversify their diets and livelihoods. In Myanmar, digital tools and community networks help families maintain essential feeding and nutrition practices even during crises. In Tajikistan, a popular national cooking show is bringing nutrition into homes, reaching millions each week and encouraging families to rethink everyday meals.

“Ending hunger is not only about providing food – it is also about helping people make informed choices that lead to healthier lives,” said Samir Wanmali, WFP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “When assistance is combined with social and behavioral change approaches, WFP can strengthen the impact of its programmes and help communities build healthier diets for the future.”

More than calories

WFP puts people at the centre of its work to ensure that its food assistance leads to long-term nutrition. This moves beyond providing enough calories, to focus instead on meeting the unique biological, social, and economic needs of vulnerable groups.

Evidence shows that social and behaviour change approaches can make a real difference—helping people adopt healthier diets, increasing the use of essential nutrition and health services, and reducing harmful coping strategies during times of crisis. By addressing not just access to food but also the choices people make, social and behavioral change helps turn knowledge into lasting habits. To scale up this impact, WFP is calling for greater global investment in innovative social and behavioral change programming, recognizing it as a critical tool in the fight against hunger and all forms of malnutrition.

 

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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