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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
A Healthy Food System:
Redefining Health
Martin Heller, C.S Mott Group
Michigan State University
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Linking Agriculture to
Health
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Obesity in the United States
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Distribution: Climate Change
Issues:
Food Miles
Type of Transportation
Alternatives
Seasonal Menus
Reduce Flight-Based Foods
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Marketing Trends/ Retailing
Eating Better Than Organic by John Cloud
Cleaning up: how business is
tackling climate changeThe Economist, June 2nd - 8th 2007
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
106 Hospitals
signed the pledge
The Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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.
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Seasonal Produce
Seasonal Foods a New Menu for Public Health
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Marketing Healthy
Food in Healthcare
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Marketing
• Table Tents
• Special of the day signs
• Patient Tray Inserts
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Blogs and Websites
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Farmers Markets & CSA’s:
Changing the Food Culture
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Innovative Healthcare
Facilities
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Baystate Health, MA
• Signed Healthy Food Pledge
• Be a Local Hero: Buy Locally
Grown
• Sourcing from Local Farms
• Vending Machines
• rBGH- Free Milk
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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.
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
Green Actions
• Modeling good dietary patterns
• Demanding healthier foods from
distributors
• Purchasing more sustainable foods
• Setting a standard for other institutions
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008
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
©Holly Freishtat, Cultivate Health, 2008