Volume 31 Number 2 |
Spring 2010 |
Civic Dietetics, Community Gardening and Food Recovery
Edible Gardening Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Mr. Roosevelt’s quote is especially meaningful in a depressed economy. Growing some of our own food—commonly referred to as “edible gardening”— requires only healthy soil, clean water, sunlight, seeds, and a bit of human labor. These easily accessible resources can produce delicious, healthy, fresh and local produce. Edible gardening, as a means to supply locally grown, fresh produce, has long been part of human nourishment. This spring, both the White House and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they would be planting Victory Gardens with most of the produce going to local food pantries (1,2). The San Francisco City Hall has also followed suit (3). Food Recovery Whole foods that are minimally processed with little packaging are integral to a healthful and sustainable diet (6). Most food banks or food pantries contain nonperishable, highly-processed foods that serve to provide calories but very little nutrients. While these foods are advantageous for shelf life, they are not the whole foods that public health professionals recognize as essential for a healthful diet. Because processed foods have an extended shelf-life, rarely does one see fresh produce or lean proteins in a food pantry or food bank—much less local, seasonal and organic produce. Both edible gardening and food recovery have the ability to increase access to whole foods. Civic Dietetics Wilkins (7) introduced the concept of “civic dietetics” as “bridg(ing) the gap between traditional dietetic practice and nontraditional areas such as local, state and federal policy; community economic development; and food system assessment to address food and nutrition problems.” Registered dietitians (RDs) in every sector of practice have an opportunity to positively influence the health of their communities through civic dietetics. Advocating and working to initiate community gardens and food recovery efforts are two examples of how RDs can practice civic dietetics in their communities. While these efforts are especially critical during tough economic times, they are appropriate for any RD who seeks to improve the health of his or her community at any time. Literature Review Journalist and professor Michael Pollan (8) refers to the new Victory Garden movement as a means to achieve “victory over high food prices, poor diets and a sedentary population.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a “food waste recovery hierarchy” that lists food recovery (listed as “Feed Hungry People” as the second option, the first option being “Source Reduction”) when dealing with excess food (9). During the original Victory Garden movement initiated by Eleanor Roosevelt, approximately 40% of the fresh produce eaten in the United States was produced by some 20 million edible gardens across the country (8). Given the opportunity, edible gardening can be a significant contributor of nutritious food in all populations. Beyond the question of food production is the question of food consumption. In other words, will the produce be consumed simply because it was produced? Researchers have shown that participants in a community garden are likely to consume more fresh vegetables and less sweet snacks than non-gardeners (10), and that an increase in fruit and vegetable intake is associated with a decrease in development of certain chronic diseases (11). McCullum provides an extensive review of the literature addressing sustainable agriculture and its relationship to human nutrition and health (12). In this review, McCullum addresses increased fresh produce consumption and community gardening; community gardening and ties to community; community gardens and low-income populations; and community gardening and physical activity. Holben suggests that RDs can play a leadership role in increasing food security in communities and lists community garden development as a way in which this can be done (13). California Healthy Cities and Communities listed the following factors as important to a successful community gardening project: commitment of local leadership and staffing, involvement of volunteers and community partners, and availability of skill-building opportunities for participants (14). A study conducted in 2008 found that excess production accounted for 187.5 pounds of food waste per meal in an all-you-can-eat facility (15). Situations like this are not uncommon (15). Food recovery is an alternative that can simultaneously reduce waste and nourish a human being. The San Francisco Commercial Food and Organics Recycling case study is one model for a city-run food recovery effort. In 1999, 3,000 tons of food were re-distributed in the community, of which approximately 500 tons were fresh, edible produce (16). In Practice RDs have many opportunities to aid in implementing community gardening and food recovery efforts in their communities, regardless of the setting. Partnering with area nonprofits, churches, student groups and other volunteers to plan, organize and implement a community garden on or near your facility is a good example of a project or initiative in which an RD can take the lead. RDs can advise patients or clients on the many health (and economic) benefits of edible gardening and point them to resources such as the American Community Gardening Association’s Web site (www.communitygarden.org) or Barbara Damrosch’s, The Garden Primer. Another “outside the box” educational method for encouraging a healthful diet addresses food waste. Addressing food waste in your facility and/or with your patients and clients will prove to be economically beneficial and will also hopefully prevent edible, nutritious food from going to waste. If your facility does not currently have a food recovery program, work with colleagues and community members to begin laying the foundation. The EPA’s Waste Not, Want Not: Feeding the Hungry and Reducing Solid Waste Through Food Recovery is a comprehensive guide on how to initiate and implement a food recovery program in restaurants and institutions. Organizing a community meeting and providing local foodservice and retail companies with these resources and a suggestion of a community-wide effort would be an example of civic dietetics. Moreover, coming from an RD, these suggestions will not only hold credibility, but also enhance the RD’s relationship with the community. The high-quality fresh food that results from the aforementioned efforts will be helpful in nourishing patients and clients with diabetes. The leafy greens produced during the spring and fall can provide a low-calorie, low-sodium source of vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and B vitamins. Carrots in the summer and fall provide betacarotene to the diet. What matters most is that low-income patients and clients with diabetes have access to fresh produce, lean proteins and whole grains as a result of these efforts. Conclusion During tough economic times we must be innovative and creative in our approaches to getting nutritious food to all populations. Community gardening and food recovery are two proven approaches to help reach this goal. Each approach can provide nutritious food for populations who need it most. Consistently acknowledged as the nation’s “food and nutrition experts,” RDs have been given both respect and responsibility. The respect RDs have garnered allows for effectiveness in improving public health at the local, state and national levels. The responsibility given to RDs calls for us to be engaged in the eating environment, the food and agriculture system and the policies associated with them. References
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