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Greening the Food Supply Chain

Holly Freishtat, MS, CN

Sustainable Food Specialist, Cultivate Health, LLC

Food & Society Policy Fellow

ASHFSA, HFM & MFS Webinar

January 23, 2008

©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008

Objectives

1. Explain a Healthy Food System

2. Link between Health and Agriculture

3. Implementation Strategies for Green Food in

Healthcare

4. Highlight Innovative Hospitals that are

Greening their food supply chain


A Healthy Food System:

Redefining Health

Martin Heller, C.S Mott Group

Michigan State University


http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu/

http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu/

Food System Components

• Growing Food

• Distributing

• Processing

• Retailing

• Preparing

• Eating©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008

Green Food System Outcomes

• Healthy Individuals

• Environmental Stewardship

• Farmland Preservation

• Economic Development

• Farm Viability

• Community & Social Vitality


Linking Agriculture to

Health


Obesity in the United States


Soil Depletion: Nutrient Dilution

Effect

• Yield enhancing methods tend to decrease

nutrient density

Trends in 43 crops 1950-1999

• Calcium 16%

• Vitamin C 20%

• Riboflavin 38%

• Iron 15%---Donald R. Davis University of Texas


Organic Production

• Organic fruit and vegetables contained up to

40% more antioxidants which could cut the risk

of cancer and heart disease

• Equivalent of eating an extra portion of fruits

and vegetables

- Professor Carlo Leifert, Newcastle University

• Strategic Organic Purchases

Organic food 'better than ordinary produce,’ By Lucy Cockcroft©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/29/nfood129.xml

Industrialized Livestock Production

• Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)

– Feed antibiotics (non-therapeutic use)

– rBGH- hormone in milk

• Public Health

– Antibiotic Resistance

– Respiratory Illness- CAFO neighbors

– Water Pollution- Manure Lagoons


Medical Professionals Calling for Discontinued Use of

Non-Therapeutic Use of Antibiotics in Food Production:

American Medical Association

American Public Health Association

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Nurses Association

American Academy of Neurology


Hospitals Going rBGH-Free

• Catholic Healthcare West - CA

• Children’s Hospital – Minneapolis

• Fletcher Allen - Burlington, VT

• Thomas Jefferson U. Hospital – Philadelphia, PA

• Good Shepherd - Hermiston, OR

• University of Washington Medical Center- Seattle, WA

• Bay State Health Systems - Springfield, MA


Distribution: Climate Change

Issues:

Food Miles

Type of Transportation

Alternatives

Seasonal Menus

Reduce Flight-Based Foods


Food Processing

Issues

• Highly Refined

Foods

• Trans Fats

• Complex Food

Labels or no labels

• Packaging - Waste

Alternatives

• Whole Grains

• Less pre-packaged

foods

• Elimination of

Trans Fats


Marketing Trends/ Retailing

Eating Better Than Organic by John Cloud

Cleaning up: how business is

tackling climate changeThe Economist, June 2nd - 8th 2007


Food PreparationWhat do we know?

• Eating out trends

• Increased pre-prepared foods

• Baby Boomers

– Fresh produce market share

Alternatives

• Quality and sustainability of foods

served in cafeteria’s

• Reduce waste through composting©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008

Implementation

Strategies

Photo by KP Studios©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008

Menu of Options

• Locally-sourcing food

• Organic and other certified foods

• Non therapeutic use of antibiotics in meats

• rBGH-free milk

• Hospital food policy – Green Food Teams

• Compost and reduction of food waste

• Vending machine use

• Farmers markets©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008

http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1133&type=document

106 Hospitals

signed the pledge

The Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge


http://www.noharm.org/us/food/pledge

CompostingOregon Health and Science University

50% reduction in solid waste coming out of food services. Up to 80% in water savings resulting in cost savings.

Norfolk General Hospital (Ontario)

Garburator shreds food, paper napkins, paper towels, milk cartons, and cardboard.High protein feed supplement for animals.


Sourcing from Local Farmers

• Matching the size of farmer

with the size of the

institution

– Currently or previously

wholesaling

– packing standards,

liability insurance, and

experienced

– Acreage: 20-150+ acres


Seasonal Produce

Seasonal Foods a New Menu for Public Health


http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1649&type=document

Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy

Benefits

– Establish Framework and tools to drive

purchasing decisions

– Specify and justify bidding contracting

provisions

– Create and rationalize incentives by food and

food service suppliers

Resource

– A Guide to Developing Sustainable Food

Purchasing Policy


http://www.foodalliance.org/sustainablefoodpolicy/

http://www.foodalliance.org/sustainablefoodpolicy/

Marketing Healthy

Food in Healthcare


Marketing

• Table Tents

• Special of the day signs

• Patient Tray Inserts


Blogs and Websites


Farmers Markets & CSA’s:

Changing the Food Culture


Innovative Healthcare

Facilities


Baystate Health, MA

• Signed Healthy Food Pledge

• Be a Local Hero: Buy Locally

Grown

• Sourcing from Local Farms

• Vending Machines

• rBGH- Free Milk


Hospital Food Project: London, England

Food Policy:

4 hospitals purchased 10% of their food

purchases from local sustainable foods

Implementation:

Develop seasonal menus and database

Work with distributors to source from local

farms

Education to hospitals: Farm Tours,

promotional events with farmers at the

hospitals


http://www.sustainweb.org/pdf/hosp_dist_rep.pdf

Kaiser Permanente, CA• Farmers Markets

• Locally Sourcing Foods: Purchasing produce from smaller sustainable farms through Growers Collaborative (CAFF)

• Seasonal Menu Planning

• Food Policies: Locally sourced foods, hormone/antibiotic free animal products, sustainably harvest foods, vending machines, and reduced waste practices

• rBGH Free Dairy


OHSU Farmers Market


http://www.ohsu.edu/farmersmarket/

Stillwater Medical Center, Oklahoma

Changed Pricing Structure

– “healthy” foods prices were

decreased by 20%

– “unhealthy” foods prices were

increased by 20%.

Outcome:

– employees increased their

consumption of healthy foods.


Green Actions

• Modeling good dietary patterns

• Demanding healthier foods from

distributors

• Purchasing more sustainable foods

• Setting a standard for other institutions


Resources

• Health Care Without Harm

• Sustainable Food Policy

• Hospitals for a Healthy Environment

• Green Guide For Healthcare

• Note: – To view additional resources, click on the underlined words throughout the

presentation


http://www.noharm.org/food/issue

http://www.noharm.org/food/issue

http://www.foodalliance.org/sustainablefoodpolicy

http://www.foodalliance.org/sustainablefoodpolicy

http://www.h2e-online.org/

http://www.h2e-online.org/

http://www.gghc.org/

http://www.gghc.org/

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