JOHNSON COUNTY is served by several large healthcare organizations with innumerable clinics, hundreds of healthcare providers and several safety net organizations. Even with such a robust network of organizations and programs aimed at addressing the food insecurity problem, the need for healthy, affordable food is still challenging. 

Addressing SDOH’s Are Important in Addressing Food Insecurity

As healthcare delivery moves towards a population health paradigm they are recognizing the significance of addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). SDOH’s are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Research shows only a portion of health can be attributed to medical/clinical care.

To improve the health of the communities they serve, hospitals must recognize and address the behavioral, socio-economic and environmental factors that contribute to health and how it affects food insecurity of our community.

FOOD INSECURITY refers to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s measure  of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.

Healthcare Systems Should Get Involved

• Food insecurity is a social determinate of health.
• Hunger is associated with serious medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poverty-related obesity. 
• Left untreated, hunger will undermine a patient’s health and contribute to the onset – or worsening –of disease that can lead to an increase in hospital readmissions and medical treatments.
• Hunger increases the cost of health care in both children and the elderly.

Healthcare Systems Can Affect Healthy Food Access 

• Operate federal nutrition and food assistance programs.
• Conduct outreach and eligibility screening for nutrition assistance programs.
• Connect patients with food/nutrition resources.
• Offer access to fresh produce through on-site gardens and farmers' markets.
• Teach nutrition education and cooking demonstrations.

TAKE ACTION

1. Screen patients for hunger and food insecurity by integrating the Children's HealthWatch Hunger Vital Sign™, a two-question screening tool based on the U.S. Household Food Security Scale, as part of annual population health surveys given to children and adults at clinical and hospital visits.
2. Educate and train leaders and staff on food insecurity and the importance of universal screening. Include corporate food insecurity screening in the institutional workflow.
3. Collect data to inform programming and public policy regarding the health impact of food insecurity.

PREPARE what you can eat, SAVE what you don't!

Save the Food Johnson County - the Johnson County Food Policy Council (FPC) is teaming up with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Ad Council to launch their national public service campaign SAVE THE FOOD that aims to combat wasted food from its largest source - consumers - by raising awareness and changing behavior.

40% OF FOOD PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES IS NEVER EATEN

• U.S. households waste an estimated 76 billion pounds of food, or 238 pounds of food per person annually.
• This costs $450 per person, or $1,800 per year for a household of four.

THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST FOOD

It’s about how our food system uses a considerable amount of our resources. Wasted food translates to $218 billion lost. The financial cost of food waste is greatest for consumers since they pay retail prices for food.

Johnson County Landfill

Food is a major contributor to the waste going into area landfills. A 2016 study of landfill waste calculated that 23% of Johnson County waste is food. We want a community where people and animals are fed before landfills.

How we shop and eat makes a difference

• Households are responsible for the largest portion of all food waste
• Because it has undergone more transport, storage, and often cooking, throwing food away at the consumer level has a larger resource footprint than at any other point of the food chain.

Why Do We Waste?	What You Can Do at Home
Consumers’ lack of awareness and information Confusion over date labels Poor storage Poor planning Impulse and bulk purchases Overproduction	Shop wisely, plan meals, use shopping lists, purchase accurate quantities, and avoid impulse buys. Interpret date labels as estimates of top quality rather than end dates for safety. Prepare appropriate amounts of food and save leftovers. Freeze food before it spoils, including milk, cheese, eggs, and meat.

PREPARE what you can eat, SAVE what you don't!

Save the Food Johnson County - the Johnson County Food Policy Council (FPC) is teaming up with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Ad Council to launch their national public service campaign SAVE THE FOOD that aims to combat wasted food from its largest source - consumers - by raising awareness and changing behavior.

The Johnson County Food Policy Council serves an advisory body to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and other decision makers in Johnson County that review and recommend policies to strengthen the local food economy and improve access to healthy and nutritious food.

Vision:

The Vision of Johnson County Food Policy Council is to improve the health and well-being of citizens, communities and the environment of Johnson County.

Mission:

The mission of the Johnson County Food Policy Council is to improve the health and well-being of individuals, the community and our environment through a just, equitable and sustainable food system in Johnson County. Through policy recommendations, education and collaborations, we strive to increase access to healthful food that is locally produced when available.

• Johnson County Food Policy Council (JCFPC) will achieve its mission by:
• Creating a forum for discussion and coordination for community-wide efforts to improve the nutritional, environmental, economic and social health of Johnson County.
• Building the capacity of local food policy bodies to find common ground on policy priorities, generate public support for those policies, and educate residents and community leaders on issues in our food system.
• Developing strategies to effectively address food access, hunger, obesity, community development, economic development, urban agriculture, food waste, nutrition and food education.