Sustainable Food: A Conversation with Jamie Harvie—Executive Director, Institute for a Sustainable Future

Abstract

Jamie Harvie, PE, is a civil engineer and presently serves as Director of Health Care Without Harm's Healthy Food in Health Care Initiative and as Executive Director for the Institute for a Sustainable Future, a not-for-profit organization based in Duluth, MN. He also serves on the steering committee for the Green Guide for Healthcare Construction—a best practices guide for healthy and sustainable building design, construction, and operations for the health care sector. Mr Harvie is an internationally recognized toxics expert and was instrumental in the negotiations with major pharmacy chains that successfully resulted in a national voluntary phase-out of mercury thermometer sales. In 2009, he was recognized as a “national thought leader” by the Natural Resources Defense Council for his leadership on sustainable health care food. His energy and vision are a driving force in changing the way food is produced and distributed so that it is not only nutritionally rich, but also environmentally sustainable. A Glossary of Terms used in this article may be found in the Sidebar: Glossary. Motivated by impacts on poor nutrition, increased antibiotic-resistant bacteria, poisoned air and water, food-borne pathogens, and the potential health effects of climate change, leaders from the health sector are backing practices and policies that support sustainable agriculture and a healthier food system. In this interview, sustainable food system advocate Jamie Harvie addresses the big stake the health sector has in the way food is produced and distributed.