FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO)

Rub A. Fiscal policy repurposing as a tool to enable healthy diets. A review of available evidence. Rome: FAO 2026; 44 p. ISBN 978-92-5-140561-1. This technical report reviews how fiscal policy repurposing – through taxes and subsidies – can be used as a lever to promote healthier diets and advance global nutrition and non-communicable diseases targets. It first maps the international policy landscape using a documentary scan of multilateral frameworks, grey literature, and global databases, tracing how fiscal measures have been progressively endorsed in nutrition and food systems agendas. It then systematically assesses effectiveness based on 29 systematic, umbrella and scoping reviews (2015-2025), covering around 900 primary evaluations and simulations of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes, taxes on foods hights: SSB taxes reduce consumption, HFSS taxes deliver modest gains when rates are high, and subsidies increase intake of nutritious foods. Yet most evidence comes from high-income settings, and long-term health effects remain underexamined. Current fiscal systems still favour taxes over positive incentives and prioritize staples over nutrient-dense foods. Coherent fiscal repurposing therefore represents a promising but underused strategy to improve diet quality and equity.

Evaluation of certain contaminants in food: One-hundred-and-first report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on food additives. WHO Technical Report Series, No. 1061. Rome: FAO and WHO 2026; 82 p. ISBN 978-92-5-140589-5. This report represents the conclusions of the One-hundred-and-first meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which met at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2025 to evaluate the contaminant of arsenic in food. The Committee assessed biochemical, toxicological and dietary exposure data on inorganic arsenic, small organoarsenic species (including dimethylarsinate [DMAV] and methylarsonate [MMAV]) and complex organoarsenic species (arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, arsenosugars and arsenolipids). The Committee also considered whether the risks associated with exposure to a combination of arsenic species present in food and water could be assessed. Analytical methods, transfer from feed to food, sampling protocols, effects of processing, prevention and control, and levels of contamination are also described. This report will be useful to those involved in controlling contaminants in foods, government and food regulatory officers, and those employed in industrial testing laboratories and toxicological research facilities.

2026 Global Report on Food Crises. Joint analysis for better decisions. Rome: FAO, WFP and GNAFC 2026; 80 p. ISBN 978-92-5-140659-5. The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026 reveals that acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain at alarmingly high and deeply entrenched levels, with crises increasingly concentrated in a core group of countries. In its tenth edition, the report shows that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, with two famines declared last year for the first time in its history. As a flagship publication of the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), the GRFC serves as the key reference for understanding acute food insecurity at global, regional and country levels. Produced through a collaborative effort among 18 partners, it provides a consensus-based assessment of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in countries affected by food crises, with the aim of informing and guiding both humanitarian and development responses.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE COUNCIL (ISC)

Preparing national research ecosystems for AI – third edition (2026). Paris: International Science Council 2026; 167 p. Recognizing the urgent need to develop appropriate regulatory and institutional frameworks – for the development and use of AI technologies in general, and for science and research specifically – the ISC’s Centre for Science Futures has mapped the integration of AI into research and science ecosystems across select countries around the world, with a particular focus on the Global South. Following the approach of past editions, the aim was to deliberately include case studies from countries of small to medium size. The aim is to offer insight into approaches being adopted by countries of similar size and capacity, to inform those tasked with spearheading the preparation of the research environment for AI. With eight new case studies, this edition now presents perspectives from 26 countries. These outlooks highlight how AI is transforming scientific research faster than national systems, policies and governance frameworks can respond. As the global AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, each case study should be understood in the context of the period in which it was written. The report addresses both the advancements made and the challenges faced in this field, making it a valuable read for science leaders, policymakers, AI professionals, and academics.

Towards gender equality in scientific organizations: assessment and recommendations. Paris: International Science Council 2026; 127 p. This report presents the most comprehensive global assessment to date of gender equality in scientific organizations. It reports the findings of a 2025 global study conducted jointly by the International Science Council (ISC), the Inter Academy Partnership (IAP), and the Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES). The analysis draws on institutional data from 136 organizations, survey responses from nearly 600 scientists, and a dozen interviews with representatives of scientific organizations. Together, these sources support a multi-level assessment of women’s representation, participation, leadership, and recognition, combining structural analysis with lived experience. Building on global online surveys carried out in 2015 and 2020, the study provides a ten-year perspective on progress and persistent gaps. It identifies structural barriers to gender equality and highlights areas where institutional policies and practices have contributed to measurable change.

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)

Our planet. Our purpose: UNEP annual report 2025. Copenhagen: United Nations Environment Programme 2026; 52 p. In 2025, UNEP worked in 151 countries, delivering science to support policymaking, providing advice to governments, supporting businesses to become more sustainable, and leading community-level projects that improved lives and livelihoods. The 2025 Annual Report explores UNEP’s results and impacts across climate action, nature and land action, pollution action and more. In a time when multilateralism is more important than ever, it looks at how UNEP uniquely brings the world together to tackle global challenges, while underpinning decision-making processes with science, data and policy support.

EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY (EFSA)

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), Dujardin B, Gómez Ruiz J Á, Ioannidou S, Salvatore S, Smeraldi C, Tard A, Gutiérrez Linares A. The 2024 European Union monitoring report on food additives and flavourings (1st pilot). EFSA Journal 2026, 24(4), e10070. This EFSA report presents the results of the 2024 European Union (EU) pilot monitoring programme on food additives and flavourings, in response to a mandate from the European Commission. This pilot focused on three food additives, green S (E 142), ponceau 4R (E 124) and tartrazine (E 102), and two flavourings, caffeine (FL No 16.016) and pulegone. The aim of the monitoring programme was to evaluate the occurrence and use of these substances, estimate chronic dietary exposure across population groups and compare the outcomes with previous EFSA assessments. Monitoring data were collected from 22 EU Member States and five food business operators, comprising 18,296 analytical results from 8943 food samples and 663 use levels. Dietary exposure was assessed using three refined exposure scenarios: non-brand-loyal, brand-loyal and food-supplement ‘consumers only’ scenarios. Different challenges and misreporting were identified when preparing the monitoring report that might have biased, to different extents, the dietary exposure estimations for the substances assessed. Therefore, conclusions derived in the framework of this first pilot are not yet considered to be sufficiently robust for decision-making, and further actions will be taken to strengthen the collection and analysis of the monitoring data in the next report. Overall, the first pilot represents an essential preparatory step towards a sustainable EU monitoring system for food additives and flavourings. The lessons learned will be used to strengthen data quality, improve exposure assessment methodologies and ensure more reliable and accurate outcomes in subsequent annual monitoring reports.

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), Bearth A, Jansen T, Mazzocchi M, Verbeke W, Alaveras G, Kanellakopoulou A, et al. Frequency of consumption of different fish, crustacean and mollusc species contributing to methylmercury exposure and consumer awareness of national advice on their consumption. EFSA Journal 2026, 24(2), e9865. Following a request of the European Commission, EFSA assessed fish and other seafood consumption patterns and consumer awareness of related health risks and benefits across the 27 Member States, Iceland and Norway. Awareness of existence of consumption national advice and to which extent this advice influence consumers consumption behaviour was also examined. To address these objectives, two surveys were conducted in 2023 and 2024 among adolescents, adults and pregnant women. Data were collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews by means of a combined Food Propensity and Awareness Questionnaire. The surveys covered 38 fish species grouped by their maximum levels of mercury (1.0, 0.5 and 0.3 mg/kg). Respondents were asked about consumption frequency, awareness of contaminants and knowledge of national dietary advice. The analysis showed that fish and other seafood consumption increased between the two surveys across all countries and species categories, regardless of whether updated advice was issued. Awareness of chemical contaminants was generally low, with mercury being the most recognised contaminant. Awareness of national advice was moderate and slightly higher among pregnant women but reported changes in consumption behaviour linked to this advice were limited. Information sources also played a role in shaping consumer behaviour, and these varied per country and population group.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

Global hepatitis report 2026. Geneva: World Health Organization 2026; 94 p. ISBN 978-92-4-012238-3 (electronic version) ISBN 978-92-4-012239-0 (print version). The Global hepatitis report 2026 provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the global burden of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), which together account for more than 95% of deaths related to viral hepatitis. The report highlights the progress in response efforts at global, regional and country levels, in the context of global commitments, strategies and targets. The report is organized around 4 major topics: an overview of global commitments, strategies and targets related to viral hepatitis; the status of the HBV and HCV epidemics and trends in the period 2015–2024; progress in coverage of interventions for prevention, diagnosis and treatment; and priorities for action at global and regional levels to accelerate progress towards the 2030 elimination targets, and associated country examples. This report is primarily based on data compiled from Member States in periodic rounds of global hepatitis data collection managed by WHO and model-based estimates of incidence, prevalence and mortality. In the 2025 round, 140 WHO Member States reported data, an increase from 113 in the previous round in 2023. Additional data sources include the WHO Global Health Observatory and databases managed by other UN agencies.

Indicators for human exposures to zoonotic pathogens. Geneva: World Health Organization 2026; 29 p. This report presents a WHO-PREZODE collaboration to develop and validate standardized indicators that assess the risk of zoonotic disease emergence by modelling pathogen circulation in animals and the risk of animal to human zoonotic spillover. The proposed indicators are intended to be actionable, i.e., to reflect the impact of the implementation of a prevention strategy along the process of zoonotic pathogen emergence and over time. Using expert-driven data from various contributors, the indicators were shown to correlate with documented Avian Influenza Virus and MERS-CoV events and to be actionable in simulating and guiding effective zoonotic disease prevention strategies. The indicators were also tested through a simulation of prevention strategies targeting specific aspects of zoonotic disease transmission. These simulations showed the actionability of the proposed indicators in guiding effective prevention strategies. This initiative provides actionable tools to measure, monitor, and mitigate the emergence of zoonotic diseases.

SHAKE the salt habit, 2nd ed. Geneva: World Health Organization 2026; 117 p. ISBN 978-92-4-012034-1. The document outlines a structured approach to developing a comprehensive sodium reduction strategy, including preparatory steps such as establishing governance mechanisms, engaging stakeholders and investing in data systems. It presents a set of evidence-based policies and interventions, with an emphasis on mandatory approaches, including food reformulation, nutrition labelling, public procurement standards, marketing restrictions, fiscal measures and behaviour change communication. Supported by a logic model linking actions to health and economic outcomes, the guidance also covers implementation considerations, capacity-building, monitoring, enforcement and evaluation. Intended primarily for policymakers and programme managers, it supports the development of effective, context-adapted interventions to reduce sodium intake, strengthen health systems and contribute to the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.