HEALTHCARE FOOD ENVIRONMENT
ENACT STRATEGY: Farm-to-Institution Programs
Institute a farm-to-institution program to incorporate fresh local produce into cafeteria and patient meals
Healthcare environments are intended to promote health and healing. In order to further serve this purpose, healthcare facilities can promote healthy by offering healthy and sustainable food to patients, employees and visitors. Farm-to-hospital initiatives promote a healthy food system by procuring and serving food, such as produce, dairy, meat and poultry, and other food items that are sourced from local small and mid-sized farmers. The health advantages of a farm-to-hospital go beyond nutritional benefits. Farm-to-hospital programs can increase employee and patient access to foods produced without pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Additionally, procuring food locally helps to protect air quality (as food does not have as far to travel from farm to plate) and benefits the local economy by supporting local agriculture.
This FAQ produced by World Hunger Year, gives an overview and summary of the elements of Farm to Cafeteria projects, as well as the benefits and challenges.
Food and Food Purchasing (PDF)
This Health Care Without Harm resource highlights how hospitals can purchase local and sustainable foods that will impact community health on several levels.
Healthy Food in Health Care: A Menu of Options (PDF)
This document produced by Health Care Without Harm provides 14 strategies hospitals can undertake to getting healthier food options into the health care setting.
Farm to Hospital: Promoting Health and Supporting Local Agriculture (PDF)
This report, produced by the Center for Food and Justice, Urban and Environmental Policy Institute highlights seven case studies of Farm to Hospital programs.
Healthy Food, Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Communities (PDF)
This report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy highlights eight case studies from across the country of hospitals that have successfully launched Farm to Hospital initiatives.
Bringing Local Food to Local Institutions
This resource guide provides farmers, school administrators, and institutional food-service planners with contact information and descriptions of existing programs that have made these connections between local farmers and local school lunchrooms, college dining halls, or cafeterias in other institutions.
This comprehensive resource from World Hunger Year provides information on background information, challenges, and successes of farm to cafeteria programs.
Health Care Without Harm is a multinational organization working with hospitals to adopt food procurement policies that provide nutritionally improved food for patients, staff, visitors, and the general public, and create food systems which are ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible.
Community Alliance for Family Farmers
Community Alliance for Family Farmers' (CAFF) Growers Collaborative acts as a middleman for institutions who want to purchase locally. The Growers Collaborative sells local fruits and vegetables from family farms to public and private grade schools, colleges, hospitals, and corporate cafeterias.
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's (IATP) Food and Health program advocates for sustainable food production and a less-contaminated food supply while supporting family farmers and rural communities. IATP works with hospitals to help them adopt and implement policies and practices that promote human health and support a more sustainable food system.