Abstract
Equitable access to and consumption of healthy foods has yet to be achieved in many societies. To better understand the complex market dynamics that make it difficult for healthy food and healthy eating markets to develop at scale across the socioeconomic spectrum, we perform an integrative analysis of the market infrastructure. Using causal loop diagramming, we identify three interconnected feedback processes that prevent the diffusion of equitable healthy food and healthy eating, including: (i) industry capabilities (ii), consumer acceptance, and (iii) institutional supports. Examining intervention scenarios, we demonstrate the ineffectiveness of isolated social-and commercial-oriented actions that promote changes in the food market. Instead, we show that a self-sustaining market for production and consumption of healthy food across social-economic status requires coordinated collective action among producers, consumers, social entrepreneurs, not-for-profits, and other intermediaries. We discuss the implications for other societal challenges that depend on coordinated action among multiple stakeholders.