malnutrition es. A real milestone was reached this year when Brighton & Hove City Council agreed to introduce minimum buying standards for all their catering contracts (including primary schools). The standards cover animal welfare, nutritional content and the use of local, seasonal produce. Food Poverty is another growing campaign area for the Food Partnership and it recently submitted evidence to the All Parliamentary report Feeding Britain. There has been a sharp increase in food poverty both locally and nationally (14). One major concern is that people experiencing food poverty are more likely to skip meals and compromise nutritional intake. To support people experiencing financial hardship, the Food Partnership runs ‘Eating well on a budget’ sessions. For workers and volunteers, the Food Partnership offers food poverty awareness training which teaches people how to recognise food poverty, as well as providing advice on signposting individuals to emergency food aid and support with underlying financial issues. The Food Partnership also helps co-ordinate a food bank network, which helps bring together groups across the city working to support people in hunger. “I just wanted to say that I found the training session really insightful and in depth. I went into the session knowing very little about food poverty, its causes and options that are out there, but I left with a breadth of new knowledge.” - Food poverty awareness session attendee.
Having seen an increase in the number of food banks in the city from two to 12, the City Council has just committed to an action plan on food poverty in 2015. CONCLUSION
With increasing populations and finite resources, considering sustainability of the food system is becoming paramount. Looking at how we produce, consume and dispose of food as a community and working together on all aspects of the food chain is an effective way to promote healthier choices for the individual and for the planet. In short, food issues cannot be looked at in isolation. With great challenges ahead, such as rising obesity levels and food poverty, it’s now more important than ever to take a joined-up approach to food. The work in Brighton & Hove shows how useful and important a focus on food can be, in dealing pressing social, economic and environmental challenges. Inspired by Brighton & Hove’s pioneering model, many UK cities have now adopted their own unique food strategies, and the launch of the national Sustainable Food Cities network in 2013 is helping bring this thinking into the mainstream. There is still plenty of work to do, but significant groundwork has been done. If we continue to look for practical solutions, share best practice and keep these messages high on the political and personal agenda, we can help make change happen.
References 1 Spade to Spoon. Brighton & Hove Food Partnership. Available online at: http://bhfood.org.uk/downloads/downloads-publications/19-spade-to-spoon-strategy2003/file 2 Spade to Spoon: Digging Deeper. A food strategy and action plan for Brighton & Hove. Brighton & Hove Food Partnership. Available online at: http://bhfood.org.uk/ downloads/downloads-publications/18-spade-to-spoon-strategy-2012-print/file 3 Garden Organic and Sustain (2014). The benefits of gardening and food growing for health and wellbeing. ISBN: 978-1-903060-60-5. Sustain, UK. Available online at: www.sustainweb.org/publications/?id=293 4 Alaimo K, Packnett E, Miles R, Kruger D (2008). Fruit and vegetable intake among urban community gardeners. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, 40(2), 94-101 5 Hawkins JA, Thirlaway KJ, Backx K and Clayton DA (2011). Allotment gardening and other leisure activities for stress reduction and healthy aging. HortTechnology, 21(5) 557-585 6 McCormack LA, Laska MN, Larson NI and Story M (2010). Review of the nutritional implications of farmers’ markets and community gardens: a call for evaluation and research efforts. J Am Diet Assoc,110 (3), 399-408 7 Nelson JM, Erens B, Bates B, Church S and Bosher T (2007). Low income diet and nutrition survey. Volume 3 Nutritional status, physical activity, economic, social and other factors. London: Food Standards Agency, The Stationary Office, UK 8 Sempik J and Aldridge J (2005). Health, wellbeing and social inclusion: therapeutic horticulture in the UK. Loughborough University Institutional Repository. CCFR Evidence Papers. Issue 11 9 Sempik J, Aldridge J and Becker S (2003). Social and Therapeutic Horticulture: evidence and messages from research. Thrive, in association with the Centre for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University 10 Stigsdotter UA and Grahn P (2004). A garden at your workplace may reduce stress. In: Dilani, A (ed.), Design and Health III - Health Promotion through Environmental Design, Research Centre for Design and health, Stockholm, Sweden, 147-157. 11 Ratcliffe MM, Merrigan KA, Rogers BL and Goldberg JP (2011). Behaviours associated with vegetable consumption. The effects of school garden experiences on middle school-aged students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours associated with vegetable consumption. Health Promotion Practice, 12,1, 36-43 12 Zick CD, Smith KR, Kowaleski-Jones L, Uno C, and Merrill B (2013). Harvesting more than vegetables: The potential weight control benefits of community gardening. American Journal of Public Health, 103(6), 1110-1115 13 New economics foundation (2011). Five ways to wellbeing. New applications, new ways of thinking. Written by Sam Thompson and Jody Aked. Commissioned jointly by the National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) and the NHS Confederation, nef, London, UK 14 Cooper N and Dumpleton S (2014). Walking the breadline: the scandal of food poverty in 21st-century Britain. Oxfam and Church Action on Food Poverty, UK. ISBN 978-1-78077
12
NHDmag.com February 2015 - Issue 101