Food system: A frame to improve health

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Food system A frame to improve health
Paula Jones San Francisco Department of Public
Health
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What is a food system?
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The Complex Food System
Taken from 2005 San Francisco Collaborative Food
System Assessment
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What is a food system?

• Includes all processes involved in keeping us
  fed
• growing, harvesting, processing, packaging,
  transporting, marketing, consuming and disposing
  of food
• Operates within and is influenced by social,
  economic and natural environments
• Dependent on human resources that provide labor,
  research and education

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The Complex Food System
Taken from Roots of Change
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Whats wrong with our current food system?

• Public Health hunger, food desserts, income
  inequality and high cost of food, poor food
  choices, exposure to pesticides and other
  chemicals, antibiotic resistance
• Environmental air and water pollution, high
  energy consumption due to production methods,
  transportation, packaging
• Unsustainable Development urban sprawl/loss of
  fertile farmland

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Why does a food system frame matter?

• Growing interest in food and agriculture issues
• Different perspectives (social justice vs.
  environmental sustainability)
• Competing priorities
• Incomplete understanding of all issues

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How can a food system frame help?

• Communicates complexity
• Gives voice to all groups
• Breaks down silos
• Builds advocates for multiple food system issues

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Food system promoting collaboration and
partnerships

• 2005 SF Collaborative Food System Assessment
• Food stamps at farmers markets
• Southeast Food Access Working Group
• City funding of salad bars
• For more information www.sffood.org