To sign HCWH Europe's Healthy & Sustainable Food in Healthcare pledge, please fill out the form below and download sign a copy of the pledge from here.

It is widely accepted that the provision of good hospital food is an indispensable part of patient care and important for the welbeing of hospital staff and visitors. For this reason, we are committed to improving the health of our patients, our staff, and the local and global community by providing sustainable and healthy food at our facility.

We recognise that for the consumers who eat it, the workers who produce it, and the ecosystems that sustain us, healthy food must be defined not only by nutritional quality, but equally by a food system that is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and supportive of human dignity and justice.

We are committed to supporting local economies and food producers that protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and provide nutritionally adequate, safe, and healthy products. Purchasing will demonstrate an understanding of the inextricable links between society, environment, human health, and the economy.

As a provider of food services for the healthcare sector, we acknowledge the impact of the food system on environmental and public health including the environmental impact caused by food waste.

We understand that hospitals food services can play an influential role in promoting healthy and sustainable habits and practices, both in a hospital setting and the wider community. Specifically, we pledge to the following healthy sustainable food measures for our institution. We will: 

• Improve the food we serve to patients, staff, and visitors by concentrating on providing high quality, local, fresh, seasonal, and where possible, organic food.
• Offer more plant-derived foods (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and nuts), which have both health and ecological benefits instead of serving energy-dense and highly processed and packaged products. Carried out with an emphasis on ensuring meals are served to patients in good condition.
• Foster the educational role of healthcare providers by demonstrating how patients and staff can change their food habits, and encourage them to prepare meals in a tastier, healthier, and more sustainable way at home.
• Ensure better coordination and communication between health professionals, administration, and catering staff in order to develop more sustainable habits and routines for food, and regularly evaluate and assess these interventions or practices.
• Strengthen the local economy by purchasing more fresh, seasonal, local and, where possible, organic produce, and support food producers in cutting emissions from unsustainable farming and production systems, and transportation. Purchasing such products will also help to limit exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
• Be open to opportunities for innovation, by considering new technologies and practices in food ordering, presentation, and delivery methods.
• Prevent and decrease food waste and explore composting, reutilisation, and recycling practices at our healthcare facility, while minimising the transportation of food waste and moving away from other non-environmentally friendly practices, such as landfilling or incineration.
• Work in partnership with other food service providers and commit to sharing best practices with other healthcare and public health organisations to illustrate the importance of healthy and sustainable food systems.

Please send your signed pledge

• via post to: Paola Hernandez, HCWH Europe, 1 Rue de la Pepiniere, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
• via email to: paola.hernandezolivan@hcwh.org

Once you have signed your pledge and completed the above form, you will be added to our list of pledge signatories here.