Margarita de Vries Mecheva’s journey to academia has been a long and winding one. She started her PhD after more than 16 years in the private sector. Her role? To "sell as much unhealthy food and sugary drinks to children as possible". So, it is interesting that her research now focuses on dietary transitions and the causal investigation of policy measures to address childhood obesity in low- and middle-income countries.
Most recently, Margarita has worked in Indonesia, a country facing rapid dietary transition to processed food. Together with local colleagues from Indonesia’s National Research an Innovation Agency, she evaluated a popular policy response - interpretive nutritional labels, otherwise known as "traffic light" labels. Akin to the Nutri-Score in Europe, this type of “nudge” is meant to curb increasing consumption of processed food.
They created an online experimental supermarket that replicated traditional food outlets where mothers could buy food virtually. Some mothers’ saw the products with "traffic light" labels, and the other half did not. Each mother had a "virtual" budget that approximated what they would normally spend in a week. The mothers could win a food hamper of the food they purchased online, which would be delivered to their homes next day, ensuring they bought food they were likely to consume in reality.
Margarita and her team also tested the same "nudge" with children by using an experimental snack booth that recreated a traditional snack vendor stall at schools; half children had their snacks labeled, another half not.
They found that "traffic light" labels significantly shifted the purchasing behavior of both mothers and children towards healthier food, with boys and already overweight children being more responsive.
All about planning
Margarita is very passionate about “doing experimental research in a setting where experimental evidence is scarce… and that we actually generate this evidence of whether available policy tools will or will not work in the context, which is very, very different from, well, where we are". Her advice on experimental research is "experimental study is all about planning. So, everything should be planned, documented and pre-registered”.
The local partners – Puguh Prasetyoputra and Rika Rachmalina from the National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia provided the crucial support for the study. The study site was Central Bogor of Bogor City of West Java Province. This site was selected based on the surrounding socioeconomic conditions near the schools. Puguh and Rika have obtained permit from the municipality and from the local district education office. Rika (a nutritionist) helped with evaluation and labelling of the local product for the online experimental supermarket and the experimental snack booth, while Puguh (an economist) coordinated a pilot in one school and help with the recruitment of the field staff and the project logistics Together we evaluated the results and prepared reports for the funding institutions.
Turning research into policy action
This passion for experimental research in various settings has woven into her teaching. Bachelor’s Honors students at Erasmus School of Economics can not only learn how nudges are done in different contexts but also design and practice them on campus as part of field research. She thinks researchers should do more to reach audiences outside academia to drive policy change. She acknowledges that research can take a long time to change policy, especially when there is external pressure, as she has experienced in the food industry.
Nevertheless, this should not deter researchers from moving research to policy action. Dissemination starts with debriefing study participants. In one of her studies, letters were sent to parents detailing the findings and offering advice on next steps, while an engaging video was created for children and shared through schools. Infographics developed at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague are also helpful for non-academic audiences.
Building equitable partnerships with local governments
Margarita is invested in advancing equitable relationships with local governments. In Indonesia, she is working with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and SMERU Research Institute to co-develop and submit joint research projects. This has been supported by ongoing exchanges of best practices. Tasks are split based on strengths; for example, because the local team has networks and knowledge of the local context.
They provided support for stakeholder outreach, obtained necessary permits, and helped prepare for data collection, while Margarita developed the materials and conducted the fieldwork. She insists, "You really have to have local partners, local collaborators, and you have to develop everything together because they know this unique knowledge of the context that you may not be so aware of."
From industry to academia: skills that shape her research
For those with a non-traditional path to academia, she encourages them to lean into the skills honed during those years. She credits her time in industry with instilling capabilities that eased her PhD journey. Project management skills helped her navigate the uncertainty of running research projects, while working with culturally diverse international teams enabled her to adapt to working in Asia. In addition, she spent a lot of time in the field during marketing, which assisted her transition to fieldwork for research.
Next, Margarita and her collaborators are actively seeking funding to return to the school vendors in Indonesia to determine how to encourage them to offer healthier options for children.
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Rotterdam Global Health Initiative (RGHI) is the academic interdisciplinary network initiated and sponsored by the Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, which has evolved into a vibrant community of global partners across more than 30 low- and middle-income countries.
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