Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities - A Response to the New Opportunities Fund Consultation. NAW/WFA Working Paper No 8
by David Smith, Hon Secretary WFA
Introduction
All too often policy proposals are still developed with very little understanding of their potential impact upon public health. Our starting point is simply to ask how health and local authorities would view the suggestion that public money be available to produce food open green spaces to provide residents with easy and affordable access to food?
Conclusion and recommendations
» Specific actions to resolve these problems will improve equity, local sustainability and empowerment, address social and health problems, and reduce poverty.
» It is proposed that this NOF programme incorporate food security, and that green space issues be closely linked where ever possible with a public health approach to sustainable communities.
» That children and young people through the voluntary sector, or schools be given an opportunity to take ownership of the values underpinning this programme.
» That NOF criteria promote and support the social economy and the development of local food and nutrition action plans.
» This provides the best route to sustainability, best value, and maximum impact in reducing health inequalities.
» Local Health Alliances should champion local food and nutrition action plans, with the programme supporting inter sectoral approach to food and nutrition, as exemplified by the draft WHO (Europe) proposals.
General Comments
It needs restating that health is a state of optimal physical, mental and social well being, not merely an absence of disease and infirmity. This should be underpinned by a firm belief in the value of public participation, and preventative public health policies.
Food and nutrition should appear in the text of this new initiative, but does not do so.This is rather limited in other NOF programmes, for example, in terms of community cafes and food co-ops. Whereas food and nutrition are essential for good health. Has the value of food and nutrition been undervalued?
For well developed, imaginative themes the NOF distinction between 'green spaces' and 'sustainable communities' is rather artificial. We would suggest that this programme provide, for example, a production, horticulture training, and distribution dimension that supports other NOF funded programmes. This could be available for matching purposes for example, in terms of Objective 1 social economy projects.
In our view this new initiative should focus upon health inequalities, and thereby provide a useful reminder of the importance of inter sectoral approaches, in addressing food security across existing and new NOF programmes.
Food Security
The World Food Day Association of Canada (1999) definition of food security states that food security means that all people have the physical and economic access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The concept encompasses the following principles:
» that production and distribution are sustainable
» production and consumption of food are grounded in and governed by social values
» that are just, equitable as well as morally and ethically sound
» that the ability to acquire food is assured
» that food is nutritionally adequate, and personally and culturally acceptable
» that the food is obtained/consumed in a manner that upholds basic human dignity
Bearing in mind the need to give food and nutrition a higher profile, and to make obvious connections with cancer prevention, life long learning skills, out of school hours and healthy living centre initiatives, we make a number of recommendations. These have been ordered in terms of the 'over to you' questions posed at the end of the NOF document. More detailed comments are available on request.
NOF Questions
(1) How can we ensure that our priorities for funding are right for communities in Wales?
(a) By demonstrating in programme design and implementation that growing, buying and eating the right kinds of food can reduce the risk of major disease and simultaneously promote a sustainable environment.
(b) This will require a long term approach evidenced by:
» (i) the existence of local food and nutrition action plans, as recommended by recent draft WHO consultation documents, at http://www.who.dk/Nutrition/main.htm
» (ii) authentic and creative use of Local Agenda 21 strategies
» (iii) the evolution of the National Assembly for Wales Sustainable Development Scheme which does not currently have a food and nutrition dimension
» (iv) the work of Local Health Alliances which recognise the importance of increasing the production of, access to and consumption of vegetables and fruit and appreciate how this will contribute to a more sustainable environment
» (v) Local Health Groups, whose Health Improvement Programme should extend wider than the traditional role of hospital dieticians.
» (vi) Preventive strategies if we wish to have best value for money.
» (vii) support for community health development strategies that are in the process of being shaped, and which will be the subject of consultation in the year 2000
» (viii) Ensuring a flexible demarcation between concepts of 'green spaces' and 'sustainable communities'.
(2) How can NOF ensure communities are involved in the projects NOF supports?
There is no easy answer to this question since in the experience of WFA members this is where a lot of bids are falling down in terms of another NOF programme - 'Healthy Living Centres'. A conclusions can be drawn from this existing programme where we have a lot of organisations putting in bids with only a cursory nod to whether it is what the 'community' needs. The problem lies to a large extent in the unrealistic time limits placed by NOF on the receipt of applications. A thorough need assessment, or community consultation cannot be carried out in a few weeks, and involving users and consumers is not an easy task.
Since the NOF UK chair has an undoubted commitment to empowering local communities, that she gave at a Healthy Living Centre briefing meeting for the voluntary sector in Wales, we are having difficulty in understanding why this issue has not been properly addressed. We would urge a review of existing HLC arrangements, and where appropriate, for these to be fed into other NOF programmes.
The production, distribution and consumption of accessible, affordable and nutritious food is of interest to everyone and therefore provides greater opportunity for ensuring community involvement. We would suggest that a strong relationship be encouraged with community based aspects of Healthy Living Centres, and for example, cancer prevention.
We believe that housing associations with a commitment to community self, and who employ community initiative, and community development workers could be well placed to productively use this new NOF programme, and to make a connection between the importance of food and nutrition issues, and the sustainable development of local green spaces. It is not just that they have regular contact with tenants who have been selected on an objective assessment of need, but housing associations also face practical questions, requiring an answer, for example, they have many older tenants living in terraced houses with over grown long back gardens.
In our view NOF should make contact with organisations such as the Soil Association, and its Food Futures initiatives, since they are well placed to make creative use of the limited resources available under this new programme.
(3) How can we ensure that we are helping those at disadvantage in society?
This question has already been partly answered above. We further recommend an agreed definition of food security (see above) that could be incorporated into this NOF programme. This could be achieved through certain amendments. For example, the term 'food production for local consumption' could be added to the following priority categories: 'better use of green space for communities', and 'community involvement in sustainable development'.
However, this approach should be closely linked with the WHO (Europe) concept of local food and nutrition action plans, and the work of Welsh local Health Improvement Programmes.This should be reflected in the heading 'involving local communities'.
In terms of 'sustainable communities' support for voluntary sector might include:
» consumer/community research to ensure that proposals are relevant to local needs. for example, see our previous comments about community based housing associations, who have the machinery and knowledge to undertake such research.
» improved transport services to get food to the people and people to the food, for example home delivery services
» the promotion of 'grow your own' schemes linked to local outlets such as food co-ops and community cafes.
Given demographic trends, and the importance of people remaining independent in their own homes, the needs of older people, and the disabled require particular attention. For example, mutual support groups, allowing reciprocity between older people with unused gardens, and others cultivating the garden, who could share the fruits of their labour.
Schools are an important part of sustainable communities and we would support the development of garden projects in schools which promote 'respect' for real food, as opposed to fabricated foods. Indeed all these projects could be included under the heading of 'community involvement in sustainable development'.
Rationale and implementation
It is particularly important that funding bodies, such as NOF, understand the importance of food and nutrition issues in the arena of sustainable development, and how necessary it is for public health, the environment and the economy that initiatives to promote food security are supported and encouraged.
It is important to note that some hospital dieticians in Wales are experiencing patients with malnutrition, and that they are considering withdrawing the use of semi skimmed milk, for example, and replacing this with full cream milk.
The main problem for the most disadvantaged in society are barriers to increasing vegetable and fruit consumption that arise from lack of access and availability of locally grown foods. Specific actions to solve these problems will also improve equity, local sustainability and empowerment, address social and health problems, and reduce poverty.
This requires a cross cutting approach based upon an acceptance that local authorities have a key role to play in partnership with the public and private sectors in increasing the production of, access to and consumption of locally grown vegetables and fruit. Therefore, local Health Alliances should champion local food and nutrition action plans.
In this programme we see a need to assess the local environment against certain criteria for increasing production and access, as a basis for developing a local strategy. In our view, Local Agenda 21, and Health 21 strategies provide an opportunity to deal with healthy food consumption in addition to improving sustainable distribution and production of food. As the WHO (June 1998) point out the:
"benefits of increasing local food production are impressive and include environmental benefits, social benefits, direct and indirect economic benefits, as well as health benefits. A ... co-ordinated and sustained strategy is needed to increase the consumption of vegetables and fruit, especially among vulnerable groups, in an environmentally, economically and socially sound setting".
Priorities
The priorities for funding, we believe, are narrow in the themes or initiatives specified, and many of the projects mentioned can often be, and are funded by other bodies. This is not too suggest that they are less than important. It is merely to state that we need space for innovation for food security and its links with sustainable development, so that the potential wide reaching effects of such schemes can be included within mainstream programmes.
In focusing sharply upon addressing health inequalities it is suggested the priorities could then be:
» To fund relevant consumer/community research into the prevalence of malnutrition, and to ensure that proposals are relevant to meeting local needs.
» To help local authorities, housing associations, social economy projects, and others in making land, technical and financial support available to increase the availability of locally grown vegetables and fruit, and thereby support the added value in combining vacant spaces with growing food in their localities: thus promoting food production to reduce poverty.
» To increase access to locally grown vegetables and fruit with, for example, logistical improvements to improve access and remove inequities, with retailers being encouraged to improve access to affordable locally produced vegetables and fruit.
» To encourage community participation; support links between producers and consumers, for example, in terms of distribution, storage and management of locally produced foods
» To involve schools and help young people acquire skills and information; with campaigns supported by community groups, health promotion units, and retailers.
(4) What is the best way for us to ensure that projects are sustainable beyond the period of NOF funding?
The framework offered by housing associations, and the Soil Associations 'Food Futures' projects in Wales, as discussed previously, provide the best method for securing sustainability. In the medium term a focus upon supporting food and nutrition action plans, and food security within this programme offers the best route to sustainability, reduced health inequalities, and maximum impact upon other mainstream programmes.
(5) What is the best way for us to work with partners to deliver the programme?
Cross cutting issues are a very important issue for the National Assembly. As the First Secretary, in his statement on Delegated Functions, recognised "..it is our capacity to make progress on these cross cutting themes that will most obviously show whether the Assembly is really making a difference to the lives of men, women, and families in Wales".
In the short term priority should be given to housing associations, the Soil Associations, and other community based food initiatives provide the best short term route in delivering creative opportunities within this new programme.
In our view health and local authorities, including local Health Alliances, should in this instance, take a 'back seat'. They have a different focus since they are well positioned to enable the development of local food and nutrition action plans (LFNAP), within the 'Better Health - Better Wales' framework, without the need for primary legislation. They should focus upon this policy framework, and support local voluntary sector in using NOF resources. In doing so they sensibly anticipate the outcome of a current consultation involving WHO (Europe) member states. (see attached A4 leaflet).
We believe this is important WHO model provides an opportunity to horizontally link the overarching priorities of most, if not all NOF programmes.
(6) Which organisations should we work with to deliver the programme?
In the short term priority should be given to community based housing associations, Soil Association, and other community based food initiatives, since they provide the best route in delivering creative opportunities within this new programme.
It should be emphasised that in terms of food security issues the voluntary sector does not have the scale of resources available to ensure that the full potential in ensuring that community based organisations learning from and supporting each other in Wales. This is further compounded by the fact that the machinery of government is still evolving its approach to cross cutting themes.
(7)How well do the priorities we have identified reflect the needs of your community?
'Better Health Better Wales' clearly identifies the need for public health preventive strategies, in dealing with health inequalities in Wales. The geographical areas that should receive priority treatment are indicated in general terms (see pages 16 and 17 'Better Health Better Wales'). We draw particular attention to the needs of older and disabled people who are unable to access the recommended portions of fresh fruit and vegetables because of transport. lifting, or carrying difficulties.
Policy and practice is slowly emerging in how we approach food and nutrition policies in Wales. NOF programme support in developing a food and nutrition dimension to public health policy measures would be a valuable addition in tackling a range of health problems including low birth weights, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, malnutrition, and other food related diseases.
This will provide for optimal health in sustainable communities in a country that has not only the poorest record in the UK, but an increasing health problem. Our only surprise is the artificial distinction drawn between 'green space' and support for 'sustainable communities' in this consultation paper. 5 November 1999
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