A food system enabling equitable access to nutritious food, while supporting climate and nature, is a key foundation for public health. However, policies associated with food and the environment can be disconnected, and tensions can exist. The public health community has a timely and practical opportunity to link food and climate actions by influencing diets through food-producing trees and hedges. The public health community can be a strategic and practical partner in connecting tree-planting with equitable access to good food, supporting people, climate, and nature.
Why are we interested in this now? There are opportunities for supporting health through food-producing trees and hedges in communities, at a local level, and on a bigger scale. For example, through engaging in active tree-planting programmes, supporting the revival of existing food-producing trees and hedges (and distribution of food), and engaging with farmers/landowners producing or planning to produce fruit and nuts.
Partnerships are crucial in taking action to tackle both dietary inequalities and the climate crisis, and the public health community are uniquely placed as a connector in the policy and practice jigsaw in whole system approaches to food, environment, and healthy places.
In addition to food-producing trees and hedges supporting diets, there are a range of wider benefits. Accessing green space can improve both our mental and physical health. Food-producing trees and hedges can play a key role in supporting biodiversity in the UK, and trees play an important role in the mitigation and adaptation of climate breakdown by sequestering carbon, protecting against flooding, and cooling urban areas.
The FPH Food Special Interest Group has produced a paper on influencing healthier and more sustainable dietary behaviours through planting and harvesting food-producing tree and hedges in the UK. The paper outlines many of the factors that need to be considered for successful and sustainable food-producing tree and hedge planting and harvesting, delivered in ways to support equitable access to the food produced.
The paper signposts to a wide range of organisations and websites to support action in planting and harvesting food-producing trees and hedges, and planning long-term approaches that can mean more people can access fruit and nuts. You can find the paper here.
Recommendations in the paper include:
- Understanding local food landscapes and finding out about food-producing trees and hedges in a local authority area.
- Reviewing local strategies and plans which could include levers for action on food-producing trees.
- Building partnerships and connecting into local action, supporting foundations for planting and harvesting food-producing trees and hedges, and ensuring that food reaches people equitably.
- Planning and planting for the future, and the importance of making long-term strategic plans for food-producing trees and hedges, harvesting and distribution.
