Nourish Hosts Symposium to Address Health Equity and Climate Action in Health Care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saskatoon (September 19, 2023) - On September 20 - 21, 2023, Nourish joins the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and CHEP Good Food in co-hosting the second national Food for Health Symposium in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The two-day event brings together thought leaders from around the continent to participate in immersive off-site land-based experiences, learning about the land and communities in Saskatchewan and experiential workshops that explore the power of food in health care to rebuild planetary health.
“Food and health care systems are enormous contributors to the climate crisis, but they also provide a $4-billion opportunity in Canada to tackle health inequities and climate change,” said Jen Reynolds, Co-Executive Director of Nourish. “At Nourish, we work with the health care community to improve the sustainability of menus, reduce food waste and spending, while serving culturally mindful foods to support better healing and build more resilient food systems outside of hospital walls. The Food for Health Symposium provides a space to connect leaders working at the nexus of these issues who can then return home with renewed inspiration and stronger networks to make real change happen in their communities,” continued Reynolds.
“The Saskatchewan Health Authority is honoured to co-host this year’s Symposium in Saskatchewan to build off of our involvement over the past few years with Nourish’s Anchor Cohort. SHA has witnessed firsthand how food choices can create significant improvements in health care. Together, we have engaged with local communities to bring Indigenous foodways to our menus, delivered a fruit and vegetable prescription program, built programs to support local growers, and implemented composting programs.” said Andrew Will, CEO of Saskatchewan Health Authority.
“CHEP Good Foods is thrilled to partner with Nourish as an extension of our work to help communities achieve greater food security and improved health,” said Gord Androsoff, Executive Director of CHEP Good Food. “It is inspiring to see how simple changes to health care menus can lead to lasting change when it comes to taking climate action and improving health equity in Canada.”
The second national Food for Health Symposium features inspirational speakers including:
Dr. Courtney Howard, Emergency Physician and Climate Activist
Dr. Priscilla Settee, Indigenous Professor
Dr. Elisa Levi, Food Sovereignty Expert
Dr. Steven Chen, Chief Medical Officer who is renowned for his award-winning Recipe4Health “food is medicine” model in California
André Picard, Health Reporter and Columnist for the Globe and Mail
The Symposium also includes land-based experiences with local hosts as well as workshops around transformative themes including climate action, Indigenous foodways, anchor leadership, and food prescribing. Nourish invites everyone interested in food for health to join our work to advance health equity, climate action, and patient healing.
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Nourish empowers health care to embrace food as medicine to advance health equity, climate action, and community well-being. We work to harness the untapped and neglected power of food in health care to transition to food and health systems that build health for patients and the planet. Saskatchewan Health Authority is the largest organization in Saskatchewan, employing more than 40,000 employees and physicians. Together, we are responsible for the delivery of safe, high-quality health care for the entire province.
CHEP Good Food For over 30 years, CHEP Good Food has operated within a capacity building model, working with children, families, and communities to improve access to good food and promote food security so that we can achieve our vision of a food secure community.
Media Contact: Lana Brandt, Communications Manager
Phone: 778.833.2954 Email: lbrandt@nourishleadership.ca
Click here for the 2023 Symposium Electronic Press Kit.