Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool: Improving access to healthy food by supporting a sustainable food system

Communities across the country are recognizing the importance of access to healthy food in order to prevent chronic disease. At the same time, concerns about our current food system have led to increasing interest in food systems that promote human health, protect the environment, and provide a livable income and fair working conditions for growers and laborers. Compelling reasons exist to link current efforts to improve nutrition environments with the sustainable agriculture movement. Prevention Institute has taken this opportunity to expand the Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool (ENACT) to highlight promising strategies that support a more sustainable food system and human health.

ENACT offers an array of achievable actions for making improvements to food and activity environments in seven sectors: childcare, school, afterschool, community, workplace, healthcare and government. ENACT provides community leaders with a practical web-based tool to assess local environments, prioritize strategies for change, and use the resources provided as starting points towards policy implementation. With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, ENACT has been expanded to include over 20 new and enhanced strategies that call attention to sustainable food systems.

This presentation provides an overview of ENACT while highlighting new concrete strategies that support sustainable food systems and promote healthy eating and activity environments. Participants will learn about a range of strategies—developing farm to institution programs, investing in farmers' markets, and connecting locally grown food to local retail establishments—while also gaining an understanding of how these strategies improve food access for, and support the health of, community residents.