Peer-reviewed journal articles

da Cruz GL, Garton K, Swinburn B, Louzada ML. (2026). Rice and beans: the nutritious, sustainable and affordable staple of the Brazilian diet. Public Health Nutrition, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980026102602

Clark J, Swinburn B, Wood B, Sacks G, Anastasiou K, Milsom P, Baker P & Garton K. (2026). How does the ultra-processed food industry drive consumption through product design and marketing? Mapping a complex commercial system according to expert mental models and evidence review. Obesity Reviews (in press). https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.70135

Vanderlee L, Garton K, Ahmed M, et al. (2026). Prioritising indicators for large-scale monitoring and assessment of food environments for public health. Current Obesity Reports, 15:37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-026-00705-8

Garton K, da Cruz GL & Swinburn B. (2026). Ultra-processed foods and their inputs increasingly dominate New Zealand’s food and beverage imports: a retrospective analysis. Globalization & Health, (in press). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-026-01203-1

Schram A, Garton K, Vaillancourt C & Vanderlee L. (2026). Monitoring the impacts of international trade and investment agreements on food environments: a Canadian case study. Public Health Nutrition, (in press). doi:10.1017/S1368980026102122

Aragi JC, Mackay S, Swinburn B, Gontijo de Castro T, Bandoni DH & Garton K. (2026). What works in school meals? Policy lessons from programmes in Brazil and New Zealand. Policy Quarterly, 22(1), 41-53. https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v22i1.10502

Bell B, Egli V & Garton K. (2025). The Case for Strengthening Unhealthy Food and Drink Outdoor Advertising Policies in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, a policy review. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 21(1), e70012.https://doi.org/10.1002/kot2.70012

Patay D, Rippin H, Garton K, Schram A, Cavada-Robert P, Alschner W, Corvalan C, Thow A. (2025). Sustainable Food System chapters in trade and investment agreements: lessons on policy innovation. Global Policy (in press). https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.70028

Sing F, Mackay S, Swinburn B & Garton K. (2025). A political economy analysis of the legislative response to unhealthy food and beverage marketing in Chile, Canada and the UK. Globalization & Health, 21, 4 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-024-01093-1.

Bunkley N, McCool J & Garton K. (2025). Stakeholder perceptions on the impact of trade and investment agreements on nutrition policy space in small island developing states. Globalization & Health, 21, 7 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-024-01091-3.

Wood B, Garton K, Milsom P, Baker P, Anastasiou K, Clark J, Swinburn B & Sacks G. (2024). Using a systems thinking approach to map the global rise of ultra-processed foods in population diets. Obesity Reviews, e13877. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13877.  

Jordan R, Garton K, Mackay, S. (2024). Testing a nutrient composition threshold model to classify brands for marketing restrictions. PLoS ONE, 19(10): e0311579. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311579

McKelvie-Sebileau P, Swinburn B, Rees D, Glassey R, Tipene-Leach, D & Garton, K. (2024). Assessing the potential for school lunch programme Ka Ora, Ka Ako to enhance education, sustainability and health goals. Policy Quarterly, 20(3): 39-51. https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v20i3.9562

Burgaz C, Van-Dam I, Garton K,et al. (2024). Which government policies to create sustainable food systems have the potential to simultaneously address undernutrition, obesity and environmental sustainability? Globalization & Health20, 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-024-01060-w

Kneller K, Garton K, Exeter D & Egli V. (2024). Mapping the Extent of Unhealthy Food Advertising around Schools in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2024.2344510

Eyles H, Dodd S, Garton K, Jiang Y & Gontijo de Castro T. (2024). New Zealand household purchases of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened beverages: 2015-2019. Public Health Nutrition, 27(1):e22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002793

Bunkley N, McCool J, Garton K. (2023). A review of international trade and investment agreements and nutrition policy space in the Pacific. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10,1208542. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1208542

Garton K, Riddell C, McKelvie-Sebileau P, Glassey R, Tipene Leach D, et al. (2023). Not just a free lunch: strengths, weaknesses and potential of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunch Programme. Policy Quarterly, 19 (2), 75-87. https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v19i2.8243

Garton K, Gerritsen S, Sing F, Lin K, Mackay S. (2022). Unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children on digital platforms in Aotearoa, New Zealand. BMC Public Health, 22, 2407. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14790-6

Garton K, Swinburn B & Thow AM. (2022). The interface between international trade and investment agreements and food environment policymaking: A conceptual framework. Frontiers in Political Science, 4, 996017. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2022.996017

Garton K, Kraak V, Fanzo J, et al. (2022). A collective call to strengthen monitoring and evaluation efforts to support healthy and sustainable food systems: 'The Accountability Pact'. Public Health Nutr. 16, 1-5. doi: 10.1017/S1368980022001173.

Garton, K, Swinburn, B & Thow, AM. (2021). Who influences nutrition policy space using international trade and investment agreements? A global stakeholder analysis. Globalization & Health,17, 118. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00764-7

Garton, K, Swinburn, B & Thow, AM. (2021). Implications of international trade and investment agreements on policy space for restricting marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children: Lessons from inter-disciplinary expert interviews. Public Health Nutrition, 24(14), 4750-4764. doi: 10.1017/S1368980021001993

Garton, K, Thow, AM & Swinburn, B. (2020). International trade and investment agreements as barriers to food environment regulation for public health nutrition: a realist review. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 10, 745-765. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.2020.189

Berrang Ford, L & Garton, K. (2013). Expert knowledge sourcing for public health surveillance: National tsetse mapping in Uganda. Social Science & Medicine,91, 246-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.03.011

Media articles

Garton K & Swinburn B. How unhealthy ultra-processed foods are designed and marketed to make us crave them. The Conversation. 01/05.2026. https://doi.org/10.64628/AA.myp5q9vxa

Garton K. Healthy kids help economy.Sunday Star Times, Local Views. 05/04/2026. Page L2.

Garton K. NZ imports of unhealthy ultra-processed foods have risen sharply since 1990 – new study.The Conversation. 19/03/2026. https://doi.org/10.64628/AA.3c4mp5j73

Garton K. Why can’t we provide a free school meal scheme as good as Brazil’s? Newsroom. 08/03/2026. https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/08/why-cant-we-provide-a-free-school-meal-scheme-as-good-as-brazils/

Garton K. Dear local councils, please ditch the junk food ads on public transport. Newsroom. 06/02/2025. https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/02/06/dear-local-councils-please-ditch-the-junk-food-advertising-on-public-transport/

Garton K. Trade deal targets sustainable food systems but doesn’t curb junk. Newsroom. 26/22/2024 https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/26/trade-deal-targets-sustainable-food-systems-but-doesnt-curb-junk/

Garton K, Glassey R, Tipene-Leach D. Evidence for free school lunches: The bigger picture benefits. The Briefing, Public Health Communications Centre [blog]. March 18, 2024. https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/evidence-free-school-lunches-bigger-picture-benefits

Mackay, S; Garton, K; Gerritsen, S. Aotearoa New Zealand’s unhealthy food environment needs more policy action. Public Health Expert [blog]. February 28, 2022. Link here

Technical reports and presentations

Garton, K. Mapping food retail outlets in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland: Policy pathways for healthier neighbourhood food environments. New Zealand Nutrition Society feature webinar, 24/02/2026.

Garton K & Egli V. The case to strengthen unhealthy food and drink outdoor advertising policies in Auckland. PHANZ Feature Webinar, 25/03/2025.

Bullen C, Phyo P, Garton K, Li N, Pauuvale A, Rawnsley K, Shi S, Syeda A, Thu W. Research, Evaluation and Monitoring of Illicit Tobacco and Vapes in New Zealand: Annual Report 2024. Wellington: Ministry of Health, 2025.

‍ Garton K, Gregan M-J, Drago SS, McCool J, Bullen C, Walker N. (May 2022). Critical analysis of submissions made in relation to policies proposed for the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan. Report prepared for the Ministry of Health. Auckland: National Institute for Health Innovation (NIHI). Accepted June 2022 [confidential].

Schram, A; Garton, K; Barlow, P. (2022). Enabling nutritious food environments and healthy diets: Guidance for member states on building coherence between trade and investment agreements and national food environment policies. Report prepared for the WHO Nutrition Guidance Expert Advisory Group (NUGAG) Subgroup on Policy Actions. Accepted internally February 2022 [currently under peer review for official publication].

Garton, K; Mackay, S; Sing, F; Egli, V; Signal, L., et al.  (2022). Unhealthy food and drink marketing in Aotearoa New Zealand: Evidence Snapshot 2022. The University of Auckland. Report. https://doi.org/10.17608/k6.auckland.19105496.v1 [peer reviewed]

Mackay, S; Garton, K; Gerritsen, S; Sing, F; Swinburn, B (2021). How healthy are Aotearoa New Zealand's food environments? Assessing the impact of recent food policies 2018-2021. The University of Auckland. Report. https://doi.org/10.17608/k6.auckland.16968478