Food Strategy
What is a Food Strategy?
A food strategy provides direction and guidance to implement current national and local policy on the problems in society posed by our current food system. Many individuals, groups and organisations have an interest in food and health. A strategy pulls together the thinking, research, good practice and action around this topic to make more efficient use of participants’ skills and time.
A food strategy may focus on:
- Improving understanding and awareness about healthy eating, by working with traditional education partners (such as schools) and also a broad range of community and statutory partners.
- Reducing the main barriers to healthy eating: accessibility, affordability and availability.
- Reducing nutrition related health inequalities by targeting the most vulnerable groups.
- Taking into account the wider implications of food and its relationship to the local economy, community and environment – creating a strategy where the health and non-health implications of food consumption are looked at together.
- Agreeing a practical action plan so that aims can become a reality involving a variety of local stakeholders to implement policies and practices, which promote the aims of the strategy.
Strategies are multifaceted and can focus on legislation, enforcement, access to and availability of health food, skill development and information. They may cover:
- Healthy eating
- Food Hygiene
- Labelling
- Food Safety
- Oral Health
- Sustainable Food Choices
- Healthy Catering
- Cooking Skills
- Complying with Food Legislation
- Food Availability
- Cost of Foods
- Information
- Food Co-ops
- Food Awards
- Food Production
- Weight Control
- Growing Food
Case Studies
The following case studies have details about three food strategies all in different stages of development, all these case studies and others on this site contain further information on the processes and practicalities of creating a local food strategy.
- Warwickshire Food for Health Strategy has been running for nearly two years.
- London Borough of Ealing - Food Matters Strategy was launched at the end of 2003.
- Bradford District Food Strategy has been drafted by a local partnership who are currently working on a partnership agreement with Bradford City Council.
Each food strategy is as different as the authorities or districts they are addressing, as they vary in population sizes, levels of economy, rural or urban, etc. Therefore it would be difficult to write a guide entitled ‘how to implement a food strategy’ as each strategy is tailored to its specific area. However by documenting the case studies listed above hopefully each one will provide some information that will be pertinent to your local area.
What to include in a Food Strategy Action Plan
The following list has been taken from The Warwickshire Food for Health – A Food Strategy for Warwickshire action plan, it is an example of the areas this particular food strategy is aiming to target and take forward.
The partners are working together to deliver the action plan, which identifies all relevant work being proposed. The action plan is updated regularly. The plan details the actions each organisation has committed to do.
- To raise awareness of the components of a balanced diet
- To improve access to a balanced diet
- To lead and co-ordinate the 5 a day campaign in Warwickshire
- To support employee initiatives that promote a balanced diet (e.g. health at work, improving working lives)
- To support caterers in providing a balanced diet
- To increase breastfeeding rates
- To adapt messages for special groups – children, the elderly and people requiring care
- To promote healthy eating in further education
- To offer a variety of activities to aid weight control. To support the British Dental Association BDA ‘weight wise’ campaign http://www.bdaweightwise.com/bda/
- To develop action plans and protocols for the implementation of regulations for the use of drugs for weight control
- To devise a toolkit for clinicians, and the public, to determine effective methods of weight control
- To promote National Food safety week
- To promote and encourage the highest standards of food hygiene
- To raise awareness of the content of the strategy
- To support caterers to improve standards
- To improve the opportunities provided by schools to promote healthy eating
- To promote and monitor use of the Healthy Eating Quality Standards
- To improve access to ‘healthy’ food
- To establish a communication bulletin for community nursing staff, raising awareness of oral health/diet topics.
Useful Publications
- Nutrition and Food Poverty Toolkit – This very comprehensive toolkit outlines the barriers to healthy eating and the scientific evidence on the role of poor nutrition in the major public health problems in the UK and provides background information on how to write and implement a local strategy. Copies are available online at: http://www.heartforum.org.uk/Publications_...
- A report from the Scottish Community Diet Project’s seminar on building food partnerships and developing local strategies
http://www.dietproject.org.uk/pdf/table_manners.pdf - Feasibility study into the scope for promoting local food initiatives in North West Wales, February 2003.
http://www.localfood.org.uk/library/NW-Wales.pdf - The Food and Local Agriculture Information Resource (FLAIR) project has been supported by DEFRA, Shell Better Britain Campaign and Polden Puckham Trust. It covers the development of the local food sector 2000 to 2003 and its contribution to sustainable development.
http://www.localfood.org.uk/library/FLAIR-2003-report-final.pdf
Examples of National Food and Health Policies
Choosing Health – Choosing a Better Diet
This document sets out the Government's plans to encourage and co-ordinate the action of a range of organisations to improve nutrition and health in England. The paper summarises how the Government will deliver the commitments on nutrition presented in the public health white paper Choosing Health: Making healthier choices easier.
It includes action on:
- Advertising and promotion of foods to children
- Simplified food labelling
- Obesity Education and Prevention
- Nutritional standards in schools, hospitals and the workplace
The Cancer Plan
Increasing fruit and vegetables intake is the second most effective strategy to reduce the risk of cancer, after reducing smoking. The plan endorses the Five-a-Day programme to be national by 2004 and the National School Fruit in School scheme.
National Service Framework (NSF) for CHD (Coronary Heart Disease)
By April 2001, all NHS bodies, working closely with Local Authorities will have agreed and be contributing to the delivery of a local programme for effective policies on a) reducing smoking, b) promoting healthy eating c) increasing physical activity d) reducing overweight and obesity in order:
- To ensure provision of consistent healthy eating/nutritional information across the District through health professionals and other key workers.
- To maximise equitable access to the affordable, available, safe provision of healthy food across the district.
- To develop community awareness, knowledge and skills relating to food and health.
National Service Framework: Older People
Many of the standards of care outlined in the NSF for older people include the need for improved nutritional status. Rehabilitation from falls, stroke, CHD, and general hospital care, requires attention to a person's nutritional status. In addition, health promotion for older people is recognised in Standard 8. By April 2002: Ensure older people have fair access to programmes of disease prevention and health promotion (including diet and nutrition).Health promotion activities of specific benefit to older people (including diet and nutrition) should be:
- Multi-sectoral
- Take into account practical difficulties experienced in accessing shops regularly.
- Ensure minimal nutritional requirements are adequately met, including vitamin D and calcium.
- Address specific disease risks including osteoporosis, stroke, rehabilitation and constipation.
National Service Framework: Mental Health
Although there are no specific objectives referring to food, the objective within Standard 1 encompasses all services: Combat discrimination against individuals and groups with mental health problems and promote their social inclusion. Those people most at risk of experiencing mental ill health are also those at risk of poor nutritional status. Any project aimed at meeting the needs of people with mental health problems need to incorporate diet and health activities.
Tackling Obesity in England (Select Committee on Public Accounts 9th report 2002.)
This report emphasises the need for effective local strategies to manage, treat and prevent obesity. One important aspect is access to healthy food. It states that:
"Effective integrated action is needed by those responsible for health care, education, transport, sport and recreation, as well as the production, retailing, labelling and marketing of food. …Cross-agency working…needs to be more systematic and rigorous within national and local strategies for health improvement."
Specific recommendations of the report include:
- Importance of nutritional standards in schools.
- Action to ensure that the importance of fruit and vegetables in a balanced diet in schools is promoted in schools.
- Guidance for schools to assess offers from sponsors and other commercial schemes, which promote consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
- Action on advertising to children of these foods, their product development, and their nutritional labelling and marketing.
- Equipping children with important skills such as cooking.
- High priority given to implementing those nutrition initiatives listed in the NHS Plan.
To find out more go to www.dh.gov.uk/publications