Turning The Food Industry On Its Ear

By Conrad Olin

The Farm to Healthcare day started with my organizations very own Chief Operating Officer, Paul Stein, speaking to senior leaders about buy- in and leadership movement toward local foods procurement and the importance of supporting and engaging with the local, sustainable food system. Paul offered a much-needed senior level administrative perspective that connected the dots between healthcare, local food economies, service delivery, and the realities of business management. 

The lunch speaker was Clayton Cox, a Microbiologist from Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter’s office presenting their work to eliminate and reduce the level of antibiotics in our industrial food system. Mr. Cox presented a wealth of evidence supporting the need for legislation that will reduce and regulate antibiotics in our food system. This was both fascinating and enlightening. Unfortunately, ongoing lobbying efforts representing special interest groups pose a significant challenge to moving this important legislation forward.

As food purchasers, we have an opportunity to put pressure on all sectors of meat production through our combined purchasing power. Together we do make a huge difference as we know that our money talks and that producers will alter their practices in response to market demands. As you have heard in the news lately, many of the big fast food users are moving to antibiotic free chicken due to consumer demand, not because of costs associated with antibiotic resistance or because it’s the right thing to do, but because consumers are savvier and demand more sustainable, responsibly produced foods. 

We have a special responsibility to use our purchasing power to turn the industrial food complex on its ear. The large corporate chicken producers, just this week, have pledged to go antibiotic free because they have taken to heart what the American public and foodservice establishments have been demanding. This is a great step forward, now on to the beef, pork and turkey industries. Let’s hope they follow the lead and do what is right.

The local sustainable foods movement is growing and heightened awareness of this issue among purchasers and buyers is directly impacting business decisions for all the right reasons. We need to know where our food comes from and we need to take our responsibility seriously as our choices and decisions impact the health of our communities. We need to do our part to educate our communities about the economic and health benefits of local food systems, and also to provide to our patients, clients and customers, nutritious sustainably produced foods in our respective venues. 

We in healthcare have seen the rise in antibiotic resistance in our populations, which in turn lengthens their stay, which raises the cost of healthcare. We as consumers, buyers, and policy makers need to take into consideration the implications of using antibiotics unnecessarily and the huge impact it has on our global environment and economies. We need to be stewards of the trust our patients and customers put in us; to be responsible citizens looking out for the public health of all the people we serve. 

Please consider using antibiotic free proteins in your business. It sends the right message to your consumers and the big food producers. NOW is the time to make the change.


Conrad Olin is the Food Service Director at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, at the Alfond Center for Health, a brand new 192 bed acute care hospital.