Sugar-coated sustainability: Deceit, disclosure, and regulation in ultra-processed foods

Roxana’s research examines regulatory reforms on environmental sustainability and corporate practices in the food sector, focusing on greenwashing and ultra-processed foods. Climate change and food systems are deeply intertwined, and when transforming current food systems is one of the defining challenges of our time, she asks what misleading sustainability claims reveal about our progress towards this goal.

Rather than treating greenwashing as isolated corporate misconduct, Roxana's research conceptualises it as a structural marker of climate obstruction embedded within contemporary food systems. Through a case study of the European Union, she analyses evolving regulatory regimes and corporate sustainability strategies, reflecting on corporate power, accountability, and the prospects for achieving equitable and environmentally sound food systems.

The ‘Saving the World’ webinar series, presented by the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse, releases a new episode each month, discussing the intersections between climate change, inequity and human health. The webinars focus on actions that enable transformative change away from the harmful consumptogenic system to systems that promote good health, social equity and environmental wellbeing.