The Center's Healthy Food for a Healthy Environment initiative aims to create a significant shift in the cycle of food production by leveraging the purchasing power of large institutions to support local and regional markets for healthier and more ecologically-friendly food, including produce free of toxic pesticides, meat products produced without non-therapeutic antibiotics, and dairy products that are free of growth hormones, and other products from environmentally responsible farms.

At present, the mainstream food cycle, from production and consumption to disposal is flawed, contributing to many environmental problems as well as exposing people to environmental health threats and compromising the livelihoods of small, local farmers.

Pesticide drift, field runoff, waste burning, toxic gases from degrading manure, and diesel exhaust from transporting food long distances are all factors of food production which contribute to air pollution. This pollution can lead to asthma and other respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer.

The first phase of this initiative targets the Oregon and Southwest Washington healthcare industry. The Healthy Food in Healthcare program utilizes the Center's existing relationship with the region's healthcare facilities, established through the Health Care Without Harm campaign.

Healthy Food in Healthcare Roundtables

In January, 2006 the Center convened the first roundtable to discuss ways to make healthcare's food service operations more sustainable. The roundtable was very well attended and was made up of representatives from sustainable food groups, including the Food Alliance and Physicians for Social Responsibility, and five of the state’s largest health systems including Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health System, Providence Health System , OHSU, and Good Shepherd Health Care. The roundtable formed two working groups: one to focus on sustainable foods and the other to focus on biobased foodservice items (utensils, plates, bowls, etc.)

Healthy Food in Healthcare roundtables now meet quarterly to update the larger healthcare/sustainable foods community on the progress of the workgroups.

Healthy Food in Healthcare Workgroups

The Center facilitates two workgroups for hospitals that are working to make their food service operations more sustainable. The Biobased Serviceware and Composting workgroup is focused on exploring the options for replacing disposable plastic and polystyrene (petroleum-based) foodservice items with disposable biobased plastics (made from corn, potato, etc.). The BSC workgroup also provides a forum for discussion on participating in the city's municipal composting program.

The Sustainable Foods workgroup explores ways for Portland-area healthcare systems to incorporate more sustainably produced foods (local, organic, Food Alliance, etc.) into their food service operations. The group reviews current food service and procurement practices and recommends new policies promoting sustainably raised and locally grown foods.