Empowering UK-Malaysia Partnerships: Building Capacity for a Healthier Digital Food Environment”

Digital food platforms such as e-commerce, delivery apps, and social media are increasingly influential in shaping dietary behaviours, especially among youth. Yet, disparities in digital access and literacy across populations pose challenges to equitable engagement and effective regulation. Currently, there is lack of evidence-based framework exists to guide integrated policy action across these evolving digital food environments.

This project aims to understand the digital food environment landscape in Malaysia and the UK, identify regulatory gaps and barriers, and co-create a solution-oriented framework via document review and participatory research approach for promoting healthier, more equitable digital food systems in both contexts.

We will first establish a strategic UK–Malaysia partnership (UoL, UNM, UPM and KRI), and form a stakeholder network that will serve as a central hub for knowledge exchange and policy dialogue (Objective 1). Building on the UK–SEA Child and Nutrition Health (CHAN) Network, a one-day multi-stakeholder workshop will be convened in Kuala Lumpur (24 June 2025), bringing together academics, policymakers, practitioners, digital marketers, and industry actors. The workshop and accompanying interviews and focus group discussions will analyse the digital food landscape and its regulatory gaps, data sources, and perceived drivers and barriers in both countries (Objective 2, leading to the co-creation of a framework and strategic actions (Objective 3).

Capacity building (Objective 4) will be embedded through online seminars, targeted training for policymakers and practitioners, mentoring for early career researchers, and community education initiatives tailored for youth, parents, and teachers. These activities will equip stakeholders with the tools and skills to make data-informed decisions and engage critically with online food content. This project aligns with Malaysia’s National Nutrition Strategy 2021–2030 and Digital Economy Blueprint.

Through sustained partnerships and capacity development, it aims to shape healthier digital food environments and support equitable food choices across diverse communities.

Impact

The expected impact is that this project will enhance understanding of digital food environments and produce co-created frameworks applicable across diverse socioeconomic and geographic contexts to promote equitable food access and nutrition in the digital age.

Engagement with policymakers, researchers, and communities will build skills in science-policy translation, digital public health, and participatory research - key for global health leadership.

The findings will inform policy, support equitable action, and foster healthier digital food systems. The UK–Malaysia partnership will strengthen institutional capacity and establish a lasting platform for joint research, training, and policy innovation.