Farm to Plate in Hospitals

By: Sarah Hoecker

Definition
Bobby J. Smith, II, 2013 M.S. candidate Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics
and Management, Cornell University April 2013

A farm to hospital (FTH) program is defined as the supply
chain relationship between hospitals or healthcare facilities
and farms producing local, fresh foods. The term local has
no universal definition, but a reasonable definition, defined
by the USDA, is food that is produced in the same state or
less than 400 miles from the location in which the food is
being consumed.
In healthcare facilities
across the country
there is a growing
awareness that our
food system is
misaligned with U.S.
dietary guidelines.
Behind these
nutritional imbalances
is a food system largely
reliant on methods of
production and
distribution that
negatively impact
public and
environmental health.

Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge
launched in spring of 2006,

is a framework that outlines steps to
be taken by the health care industry
to improve the health of patients,
communities, and the environment.

http://www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org/pledge.php
Excerpts from the Pledge Document
Work with local farmers,
community-based organizations
and food suppliers to increase the
availability of fresh, locally-
produced food.
Increase our offering of fruit
and vegetables, nutritionally
dense and minimally processed,
unrefined foods and reduce
unhealthy (trans and saturated)
fats and sweetened foods.
Develop a program to promote
and source from producers and
processors which uphold the
dignity of family, farmers,
workers and their communities
and support sustainable and
humane agriculture systems.
Minimize and beneficially
reuse food waste and support
the use of food packaging and
products that are ecologically
protective.

Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge
Pledge Signers
461 Hospitals Nation Wide

Baystate Health Springfield, MA
Berkshire Medical Center Pittsfield, MA
Cooley Dickenson Hospital North Hampton, MA
Fairview Hospital Great Barrington, MA
Shriners Hospital for Children Boston, MA
Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA
UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus, MA

http://www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org/signers.php
http://www.noharm.org/all_regions/issues/food/


Since the
purchasing power
of health care
systems is
enormous, the
decisions health-
care institutions
make about food
can have a
substantial impact
on public and
environmental
health.