This section contains excerpts from ‘Healthy Food for Healthy Communities’, a report that outlines sustainability and public health implications of the industrial agriculture system and food service operations in institutions such as hospitals, colleges & universities, and schools. The report was produced by and is based on research by student interns working with the Alliance, including students from Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian College, and Muhlenberg College.
Introduction
… much of the food in our stores, restaurants, and institutions causes or directly contributes to health problems.
It has long been said that, “You are what you eat.’ Science has now confirmed the truth of this common-sense saying—but the findings are cause for great concern: We now know that much of the food in our stores, restaurants, and institutions does not sustain the health of those who eat it, but instead causes or directly contributes to health problems. [See 2009 report by a local student.] This must change. Every day, tens of thousands of people here in the Lehigh Valley eat food served by large institutions—colleges and universities, schools, and hospitals—so it is extremely important that they serve food that protects, sustains, and contributes to health.
The prevalence of so much food that causes health problems becomes a major public health concern. We urge Community Health professionals to go beyond just preventing or treating illnesses and find ways to make sure institutions serve food that promotes wellness instead of causing or contributing to health problems. It seems obvious that healthcare providers have a special obligation to avoid food and food-service practices that are known to be detrimental to public health, but we believe that the mandate to “Do no harm” also applies to other institutions that we trust to provide care. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Institute for Agriculture Trade Policy, Center for Health Design, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Food Trust are just a few of the many organizations have recognized how the industrialized food system undermines our goal of promoting health.
This proposal outlines several recommendations to make food service operations more sustainable and to reduce the harm they can cause. (Although it focuses on institutions, the same principles apply to smaller establishments and to individuals.) It draws upon a variety of sources, including the Healthy Food in Health Care pledge* from Health Care Without Harm. Community Health professionals can make a substantial contribution to public health and wellness by actively working to:
- Increase the use of healthy food and reduce use of unhealthy food;
- Urge institutions to develop sustainable procurement systems that provide respect for the health and wellbeing of farm workers, their families, and the communities where food is grown;
- Educate staff, patients, and community about the importance of such food; and
- Minimize food waste and other waste from food service operations.
Continue reading:
- The Problem with Industrial Agriculture
- Food That Promotes Health and Wellbeing
- Community Education
- Food Service Operations
Note: The complete report is also available in PDF format.
Conclusion
As people, businesses, and institutions realize that food choices have a profound impact on the health of people and ecosystems, more and more are choosing to be part of the solution. Responsible purchasing policies allow institutions to leverage their purchasing power to improve environmental and public health in the communities they serve and in the communities where purchased items are produced, allowing them to go beyond delivering health care services to actually helping to prevent health problems. We can provide model policies for healthcare, higher education, and other institutions.
Where promoting people’s health is a primary concern, it is especially important to examine the effects of our actions and to make the right choices. Sustainability in food services, like other areas of operation, is critical to living up to the call to “Do no harm”.
Note: The complete report is also available in PDF format.
The ‘Healthy Food for Healthy Communities’, report was produced by and is based on research by student interns working with the Alliance, including students from Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian College, and Muhlenberg College.