PESTLE And PORTERs Analysis of Mcdonalds Fast Food Chain

Question: Discuss about the McDonalds Analysis: PESTLE and PORTERs Analysis. Answer: Introduction: McDonalds is a very famous company based in U.S. and was founded by Maurice and Richard in the year 1940. It is one of the largest fast food chains of hamburgers. There are about 119 countries where McDonalds is present and it serves about more than 68 million customers each day. There are more than 34000 locations of McDonalds all over the world. McDonalds is a public company that is listed as MCD on NYSE. Some of the main products of McDonalds include hamburgers, soft drink, chicken, and coffee, salads, French fries, desserts and breakfasts. (Association, 2011)The position of McDonalds is as a global leader in the fast food restaurant market. The company is also present in Singapore and is located in 71 W coast Hwy etc food business could be understood in a better way in the country on 200 Stadium Boulevard. This report further includes the PEST analysis and the Porters five forces model analysis of McDonalds in Singapore so that the market environment of fast of Singapore. PEST Analysis One of the techniques for analyzing the external environment of a business is PEST analysis. The word PEST basically stands for Political, Economical, Social and Technological factor that affects the business. The PEST analysis of McDonalds is as follows: Political Factors: The business of the McDonalds was started in the year 1979. Currently there are 110 restaurants in Singapore and the company serves about 1.2 million people each weak. The operations of the McDonalds are influenced highly by the political situations of various states. (Murphey, 2000)The various changes that take place in the country affect the business of the McDonalds. The changes the affects the business of the McDonalds includes the changes in the labor laws, food administration, taxation and health related laws. While going through the political considerations of the Singapore it was found that Singapore is a bureaucratic country and all the political powers of Singapore are in the hands of the government. It is believed by the government of Singapore to communicate the efforts directly to its public rather than taking any kind of opinions from the public. The politics of the Singapore is a mixture or bureaucracy and democracy. (Roper, 2012)When we move towards the business of McDonalds then it can be seen that the company handles various political situations in its business operations. There are many problems that are being faced by the company at various places for examples the rules and regulations keep on changing from time to time due to the health implications of the fast food like the cholesterol and the obesity. It is not a difficult task for McDonalds to handle the political situations of the Singapore. Economical Factors: There are various industries all over the world that often attracts the economy of Singapore. Singapore has been ranked as the second most open economy by the Heritage Foundations Index. As seen to the macroeconomic terms it can be concluded that the economy of Singapore is highly stable.(Service, 2015) Singapore does not have any kind of foreign debt on itself and the revenue of the government is very high and is very surplus consistently. (Baraban, 2010)The economy of the Singapore was shown by the country during the financial crises. In the year 2007-08 the there was economic slowdown all over the world and in Singapore many companies slide down due to that slowdown but still Singapore showed economic stability.(Caterersearch, 2011) Also in the year 2010 Singapore was one of the emerging fastest growing economy in the world when many countries that were very powerful were struggling in the world, some of the countries that were struggling were Europe and U.S. The area of Singapore has very less resources and the area is also not very big. The important industries that often contribute in the economy of Singapore further development are: Tourism Exports of various machinery and electronic items Largest cargo seaport all over the world Financial services When considering the fast food business it can be very well said that the Singapore economy is very beneficial for this industry (fast food industry).(Franchises, 2011) Singapore has a very wide scope for the fast food sector for different kind of people as it is the tourist place. The rate at which the economy of Singapore is growing is estimated to be 4.9% and also the disposable income of Singapore is very high. The country has a GDP of $318.9 billion. The country attracts the fast food business due to its high GDP, per capita income and continuous growth. McDonalds has been very established in Singapore and covered its area in a very successful manner. Social Factors McDonalds deals with the socio-cultural issues in a very efficient manner. The quality of life in Singapore has helped McDonalds to be successful there as the people in Singapore lead a high quality of life. It is of the smallest country in the area of South east but it poses a best quality of life. The people with varied social and cultural background are present in Singapore. (Myownspunk, 2011)But the tourists who often visit Singapore come from different places and have different tastes and preferences. The Singapore has materialistic culture and the people often face constant pressure. The life of the people is maintained by 5Cs Car, Cash, Condo, Country club and Credit card. Though there was too much of stress in Singapore still it was named as one of the happiest countries in Asia. McDonalds does not have to face much of difficulty in doing its business in Singapore.(Rainsford, 2001) Technological factors A very big role is being played by the technology in the development of any country. As Singapore is very well developed in terms of technology so this helps the McDonalds in the marketing , distribution and production. The main advertising technique that is used by McDonalds is television commercials for the marketing of its products.(Gad, 2011) There are various developments in the internet facilities that has helped McDonalds in the establishment of its business. McDonalds Five forces Model The position of the McDonalds in the market is due to its very good response to the five forces in the industry environment. The porters five forces helps in the identification of the various external factors that influence the company.(Roy, 2011) The following intensities is yielded by the five forces analysis of McDonalds: Competition/ competitive rivalry (Strong) Threat of substitutes (Strong force) Bargaining power of the customers or the buyers ( strong force) The bargaining power of the suppliers (weak force) The threat of new entrants ( moderate force) Competitive rivalry (strong force) A very tough competition is being faced by the McDonalds due to the saturation of the fast food industry. The below mentioned external factors affects the competitive rivalry of the McDonalds: Low switching cost (very strong) High number of firms (strong force) The aggressiveness of the firms is also very high ( strong force) There are many firms of various sizes in the fast food industry like the global chains which includes McDonalds and various local mom and pop restaurants. Also there are various medium and large firms that keep on marketing their products. (Maybury, 2000)The switching costs of the customers of the McDonalds is very low that means that the customers can easily transferred to various other restaurants like Wendys. So, it can be concluded that this is a very strong force that affects the business of McDonalds. The bargaining power of the buyers/customers ( Strong Force) The power of the customers shall be dealt by the McDonalds significantly. This force deals with the demands and the influences of the customers. (Grundy, 2006)In the case of McDonalds following are the forces that affect the bargaining power of the buyers: High Availability of the substitutes (strong) The switching cost is low(strong) Large number of providers(strong) As its very easy to change from one restaurant to another which means that the switching cost is low in case of McDonalds the customers can easily move to other restaurants. As the saturation is there in the countries like Singapore the customers can easily shift from McDonalds to other restaurants if they are not satisfied.(Dobbs, 2014) It is required that the McDonalds develop various strategies so that the loyalty of the customers is maintained. Bargaining power of the suppliers of the McDonalds (weak force) There are various suppliers that influence the McDonalds. This element shows the impact that the suppliers have on the McDonalds. Following are the various factors: Low vertical integration(weak force) High overall supply(weak force) There is a large population of suppliers due to which the individual suppliers are affected; this is due to the lack of regional and global alliance of the suppliers.(Burke, 2010) According to this element it can be concluded that the power of the supplier is minimal for the McDonalds. Threat of the substitutes (Strong Force) One of the main concerns for the McDonalds is the threat of the suppliers. Following are the factor that affects this element: Low switching costs (strong force) High performance and cost ratio (strong force) High availability of the substitutes (strong force) There are lots of substitutes for the McDonalds, also consumers have the option for cooking their food by themselves and it is very easy for the consumers to shift to other substitutes at a low cost. Threat of new entrant (moderate force) The market share of the McDonalds can be impacted by the new entrants. Some of the external factors that are affecting this element are: Moderate cost of capital (moderate force) Low costs of switching (strong force) High cost of development of brand (weak force) As the cost of switching which is very low the consumers can easily shift from the McDonalds to other options. (Greogary, 2015)This shows that the threat of new entrants is moderate in the case of McDonalds and it shall take various steps to improve that. Recommendations: According to the PESTLE analysis of McDonalds it has been observed that there are various opportunities for the growth of the McDonalds. The company can take the opportunities by capitalizing on the technological strategies so that the productivity and the efficiency can be enhanced.(Gillespie, 2007) The Product quality of the McDonalds can also be improved so that the political or the socio-cultural factors can be enhanced. The indication given by the PEST analysis is that the company needs to develop various strategies to deal with the potential threats. There are various opportunities for the McDonalds if it expands its operations in the high-growth economies like the South-East Asian countries. Conclusion: At last it can be concluded that the McDonalds is the largest company in the business of fast food and it has a very well established business in all the parts or the countries of the world. In Singapore as well it has developed itself in a very well manner. The PEST analysis of the McDonalds in Singapore recommends that it is the recommended country to carry on the business of fast food as this country has a continuously growing economy. As the Singapore is tourism based country so there are very high amount of opportunities available for the successful running of the fast food business. The various political, social, economical and legal aspects are in favor of the fast food business. Though there are few factors according to the porters model that are not in favor of McDonalds but those factors can also be very well addressed by formulating and implementing the various strategies. The company has ample opportunities for expanding its operations in the high-growth economies that in cludes the South East Asian countries which can prove out to be very beneficial for the McDonalds. References Association, H. I. (2011). An Introduction to PESTLE Analysis. HIA Ltd. Baraban, R. (2010). Successful Restaurant Design. London: John Wiley Sons. Burke, A. v. (2010). Blue ocean vs. five forces. Harvard Business Review , 88(5), 28-29. Caterersearch. (2011). McDonalds restaurants. [Internet], Leeds, LeedsMetropolitanUniversity. Retrieved JUly 23, 2016, from https://www.mcdonalds.ca/en/aboutus/faq.aspx Dobbs, M. (2014). Guidelines for applying Porters five forces framework: a set of industry analysis templates. . Competitiveness Review, , 24(1)., 32-45. Franchises. (2011). McDonalds. [Internet], Leeds, LeedsMetropolitanUniversity. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://franchises.about.com/b/2011/05/26/mcdonalds-renovations.htm Gad. (2011). Population prediction. [Internet], Leeds, LeedsMetropolitanUniversity. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://www.gad.gov.uk/Documents/Demography/Projections/2000-based_National_population_projections.pdf Gillespie, A. (2007). PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment. Foundations of Economics,. USA: Oxford University Press. Greogary, L. (2015). Panmore Institute. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://panmore.com/mcdonalds-five-forces-analysis-porters-model Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. . Strategic Change, , 15(5), 213-229. Maybury, M. T. (2000). Five forces. In System Sciences,. Proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Hawaii International Conference on , Vol. 4, pp. 579-588. Murphey, M. . (2000). UCF Research Guides. Industry Analysis. PESTLE Analysis. . Business Horizons, , 17(5), 27-38. Myownspunk. (2011). Hamburger-Robot. [Internet], Leeds, LeedsMetropolitanUniversity. . Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://www.myownspunk.com/robots/lego-hamburger-robot Rainsford, P. (2001). The restaurant start up guide. London: Kaplan professional company. Roper, K. (2012). BIM Implementation: PESTEL Drivers Barriers. (Cross-national Analysis). In World Workplace . Roy, D. (2011). Strategic Foresight and Porters Five Forces. . New York: GRIN Verlag. Service, U. S. (2015). United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-markets-prices/food-service-industry/market-segments.aspx

Application Essay - The Right Essay Samples

Application Essay - The Right Essay SamplesTo some people, writing an application essay for college admission may seem like a headache. But they don't know what to do, where to start and how to go about it. They often have some doubts in their mind and this is just because of the overwhelming number of essay samples available to them.But there are a few things that you should remember before opting for any of the essay samples available on the internet. You should first make sure that these essay samples are suitable for your application essay and not just an extra thing to have in your bag. The essay samples should be carefully analyzed before accepting them for any purpose.There are some websites which have actual students of different schools who write their applications, but they may not be able to put it well into words. A final decision has to be made whether these students are going to help you or not.Essays are meant to convey information to the applicant and not just to sati sfy their own curiosity. If you want to focus on your application essay, you have to study carefully what you write, as well as the amount of time that you can spare.In most cases, the essay samples are short-form, so that you can easily address the problems that you may have in your application essay. However, if you are looking for something that has a bit more depth, then you can opt for some real essays written by real students. There are many websites that offer these services and you can easily browse through them.There are many sites that give you the important information that you need to make your college admission successful. Even if you are planning to write an application essay for college admission, but have some doubts in your mind, you have to make sure that you will not fail your college application.Reading some useful articles online and reviewing some good essay samples and then applying them in your own application can surely help you in making the best out of it. It is not so difficult to make an application essay, so you can try as long as you have the patience and know how to make it successful.

20 Th Century Attitude Essays - John Updike, Sylvia Plath

20 th century attitude 20th century writers dealt with many issues and themes throughout their writing. The authors that I have chosen to look at are Updike, Beatti, Rothke and Plath. These authors and their works will each be evaluated by how they deal with the subjects love, death, loss and passing of time. The short story Separating by John Updike deals with the subject of love and I also believe it deals with the themes quest for identity and alienation and nausea . The story talks about how two parents are going through the process of telling their children that they are going to separate. This is important to them because they do love their children very much; they want to make the timing perfect so it is easier on the children. The father and mother seemed as though they needed to find out who they really were without their children. They did all things for the kids. They said that they loved one another but yet they didnt make each other happy. I think that they just werent sure what made them happy. Weekend a short story by Ann Beattie deals with the subject of loss of time and the same theme that Updikes story dealt with quest for identity .I chose the subject of time because at first they loved one another and had a good relationship and then time passed and they ended up in such a weird place in their relationship. George had control over Lenore in the way that she never knows that she can leave him and be okay. She stays with him because she does care for him but also because she has a place to put her children and herself to sleep. Wish for a Young Wife a poem by Theodore Rothke is one that goes into the subject of loss or the idea of loss. This is a man who is telling his wife that he hopes that even while he grows old he wishes that she were beautiful and young for eternity. H e wishes her to never endure grief or hate; these are the very things that make one old. He could be very much in love with his wife and by wishing this for her, so she never looses her beauty. Or, he could be wishing these things for his benefit so he never looses his beautiful young wife. Sylvia Plaths poem Lady Lazarus deals mainly with the subject of death. Im not sure completely but this could be humor in the horror , I know it is not a nightmare world but, pick the worms off of me like sticky pearls is some sort of gross humor. She discusses her 3 suicide attempts, comparing herself to a cat with 9 lives. She also includes a comparison of herself to a concentration camp victim. She states dying is an art I do it exceptionally well. Doctors are her enemy and she warns them to beware. Overall in most literature you can see a little of death, love, loss and a loss of time. These subject matters are used so frequently because those things are life. They are the things people feel strongly about. People relate and understand these topics.

Sometimes All You Need Is Yourself Professor Ramos Blog

Sometimes All You Need Is Yourself Everyone has at least one person who has someone who has helped them throughout their life. Maybe they have quite a few. For me those people would be myself, my mom, my aunt semida, and my fiancà © Bobby. Throughout my whole life it’s been a constant roller coaster. To this day I am still learning and applying what I was thought to my daily life whether it’s at school, work, or on my free time. Sometimes, all you need is yourself to help learn certain things others might not be able to help you on. Let me tell you a little bit about my sponsor, my mom. She’s an extraordinarily amazing, strong woman. She is about 5’6 with long dark brown hair with these hazel eyes. When she was 17  ½ she got electrocuted to 20,000 volts of electricity. At the age of 18, my grandparents, my mom and her siblings all came to the United States from Romania for a better life. My mom has been through so much in the past 48 years. She has always told me â€Å"be kind, to love, and always wish well upon those who do you wrong† by the age of 12. She taught me how to read, write and speak English before I went to kindergarten. My mom helped me understand what it’s like to appreciate the little things in life without having that luxury. She has not stopped helping me grow into the woman I am today. Another sponsor in my life would be my aunt. She is my mom’s younger sister. She is about 5’7 with short brown hair and light hazel eyes. My aunt Semida has been through enough to help me understand quite a few things. She’s always been like a second mom to me. When I would go through some problems I couldn’t talk to my mom about, she was my go to. Semida, helped me deal with depression, break ups and broken hearts, and simply giving me advice. When I was about 15 my aunt helped me practice my driving skills without a permit. She taught me how to drive a manual transmission car when I finally got my permit at 18. Yeah big gap to finally get my license. At the age of 20 going into 21 she helped me understand to see and read the red flags in a relationship, to get out before it was too late. By the time I turned 21 she also taught me and said â€Å" you don’t need a man to make you happy, just yourself and doing what you love.† Finally, my last sponsor would be the love of my life, my fiancà ©, Bobby. He comes from a family of law enforcement. He’s strong and independent. Bobby is about 5’10, built with tattoos all over with light brown eyes. When I met him, I was going through quite a lot. Dealing with anxiety and constantly trying to find someone to complete my heart. He taught me that women are not just for sex and to take advantage of but women need to be loved, cherished and given the world. He always has a way with words. Bobby and I have our own knowledge on certain things and in certain areas. In some areas he knows more about law enforcement than I do and in certain areas I know more about the medical field. I know how to speak more than one language when he only knows two. At the age of 21 I took an English class and had to write about racism. I ended up writing about how a majority of the cops are racist. When we discussed the essay, he opened my eyes to realize and say â€Å"You are misinformed about what actually happens in and during certain situations that involve police shootings. The media has its way to draw in audience by giving them what they want to see and hear.† So to get my facts checked and to actually see what goes on I watch Live PD. Apart from that, he has also showed me what love is from someone who truly cares about you. I know he gets busy with work and has a lot on his plate but he never fails to tell me â€Å"I love you. No matter how busy I get, I love you.† He has shown me how to be treated with respect and to always be there for each other. In a relationship you don’t always have to be serious. Sometimes you cannot always put in 50/50. Sometimes you need to give 80/20 and be there to pick up your significant other. Now, enough about my sponsors. A little bit about myself. I am a 22 year old college student with a story. I am 5’6 with long brown hair, hazel eyes with what most will say, â€Å"a perfect smile.† At the age of 3 or 4 I began to draw. Put a piece of paper and crayons or a pencil and I would just doodle. For about 19 years I never stopped drawing, mastering my skills. Around the age 18 I taught myself how to be confident.I wake up every morning and tell myself â€Å"Girl, you look gorgeous! You are a queen.† I also taught myself that everyone will have an opinion about you. Became confident to where others opinions about me don’t matter because I know myself and I’m comfortable in my own body. When I turned 21 I got my first tattoo to cover my scars, to help boost that confidence. Most people have one person who helps them, to teach them certain things in life. Some might have more. I have more than what I wrote but these sponsors, these important people in my life have made me the person I am today. From self teaching, to my mom helping me and teaching me, from my aunt Semida helping me understand, to finally my fiancà © opening my eyes. Sometimes in life you don’t just need people close to you to help you learn or to teach you new things or subjects or possibly new ideas, maybe we teach ourselves new things nobody else could have taught us.

The World Oil Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The World Oil Market - Assignment Example A tight balance between supply and demand can lead to high prices that cause both higher expenditures for consumers and higher incomes for producers. In economics, exhaustible resources generally follow the rule that the rate of growth must equal the rate of interest in order to reach industry equilibrium. However, due to the unpredictable character of future oil supply and demand conditions, oil prices do not generally follow this rule. Most of the time, it exhibits backwardation wherein future prices are lower than current ones. Future demand is hard to predict because it is difficult to foresee changes in energy technologies and it takes years for consumers to switch to other resources should prices go off the roof. On the other hand, investment is expensive and risky and it takes a while before production supply turns to high capacity. Oil prices also behave unexpectedly since the market is responsive to speculative pressures, operational constraints, and political conditions. Hu rricane Katrina, by reducing gasoline supplies (which is chiefly derived from crude oil), became one dramatic factor that caused oil prices to skyrocket in 2005. The storm reduced oil production, transportation, and refining capacity--it paralyzed major oil and gasoline pipelines that carried supplies down from the Gulf Mexico and took down offshore oil platforms. Power outages also caused problems in oil and natural gas distribution in many areas. The large drop in supplies caused oil prices to rise. Additionally, consumer expectation contributed to the demand component. With the hurricane retarding oil production and restricting supplies, they expected prices to rise. They immediately increased the demand by buying gasoline, hoping to fill up their tanks before prices start to rise. Reduced supply and increased demand caused oil prices to increase dramatically, as shown in the graph below: 3. Analyze the structure of the world oil market & identify what kind of market structure it has.   The world oil market structure is oligopolistic since the market is dominated by a limited number of suppliers. An industry is said to be oligopolistic if few supply the majority of the output and if those suppliers are interdependent. In oil production, about 50 percent of the output and 70 percent of the reserves are controlled by a cartel. Production is handled by both the public and private sectors. However, oil production is just one aspect of the market-converting and refining it to other consumer products is another facet of the total world oil industry, one which has its own dynamics and regulations. Worldwide supply and demand determine oil prices, with great influence from OPEC. On the supply side, OPEC provides most of the world's supply and normally acts as a semi-cartel, influencing oil prices by maintaining excess capacity. It also tries to maintain oil prices at its target level by setting quotas or production limits for its members. On the other hand, non-O PEC suppliers have generally limited reserves and typically behave as price takers. OPEC's policy in recent times is to control crude oil inventories and reserves in consuming nations in order to balance the market.

Spiritual Belief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spiritual Belief - Essay Example In patience recovery, faith is important in contributing to the beliefs of the individual thus their ability to recover. The spiritual needs assessment of a relative to a patient helped reveal several demographic factors that may help devise proper psychological therapies for the patient thereby resulting in faster recovery. The assessment revealed that the patient had ardent faith in the Christian faith and was a staunch catholic. His beliefs were founded in the teachings of the Roman Catholic and so was his family’s. As a Christian ascribing to the doctrines of the faith, the respondent neither drinks nor smokes. Additionally, he portrays a social and loving personality often assisting those he interacts with whenever possible thus validating his support for the patient. The patient portrayed strong belief in the teachings of the faith thereby opting to live as per the demands of the Catholic Church. From the assessment, it became evident that one’s spiritual beliefs are important in determining their subsequent personalities. Religious beliefs contribute to the development of a personality within an individual as the interview portrayed. Most of the questions in the assessment tool sought to investigate the relationship between the faith and the social life of the individual. The respondent’s responses revealed a close relationship with the faith greatly influencing the social lives of the respondent (Reilly, 2011). Since the respondent is a catholic and that, the catholic teachings abhor alcoholism and cigarette. The respondent thus selects his social groupings carefully always avoiding smoker ad alcoholics. His religious beliefs thus influence the type of respondent’s lifestyle, such toxic substances as alcohol and cigarette affect health. By avoiding such for whichever reasons, one reduces chances of infections (Manent, 2011). Religious beliefs and the degree of beliefs in the teachings of a faith is a key factor that helps inf luence the type of lifestyle an individual leads. In this relation, religious beliefs thus influence the propensity of an individual being susceptible to certain lifestyle diseases such as those caused by alcohol, cigarettes and other religious contrabands. The assessment went well thereby revealing several important factors of religion that affect the health of an individual. Just as stated earlier, religion influences the relationship among people. The respondent’s belief in his faith that discourages discrimination resulted in an objective interaction between the respondent and the interviewer. The interaction was free and extremely interactive with the respondent opting to take the opportunity to pass some of his teachings to the respondent. The personal interaction between the respondent and the interviewer portrayed advanced development and maturity thereby leading to free flow of information from both sides. Such thereby contributed to the effectiveness of the study, w hich revealed several important facts about the relationship between religious belief, and lifestyle that is an important determinant of lifestyle diseases. Besides the personal relations between the respondent and the interviewer, communication between the two was effective a factor contributed to by several factors. The effectiveness of the interview ensured that the interviewee responded to all the questions and exhibited sincerity that improved the effectiveness of the study. The respondent owing to his inclination to his faith committed to the study and provided detailed answers to the questions in the tool. The free flow of information between the two permitted the respondent to provide examples of some of the issues he raised thereby developing factual relationship betw

Environmentally Friendly Hospital Menu

Environmentally Friendly Hospital Menu MANASA PENTA As a Registered Dietitian at the Sandringham Public hospital the below briefing paper on a proposal to revise existing hospital menu and plan a greener menu by including 100% foods used from local food producers around Melbourne. This is submitted to the Broad of Directors of the hospital for their approval. Context: According to the IPCC (2007), the global climate and other life-supporting environmental systems are seriously perturbed and depleted. Climate change-related drought prone and long-term drying conditions emerging in some sub-tropical regions around the world, higher temperatures, raising sea levels, increasing frequency of flooding, and acidification of oceans are now contributing to reduced quantity, quality and affordability of food in many countries. Australia is also facing environmental challenges, with an expected increase in average surface temperature of 0.6-1.5c by 2030. (Fd systems En sustain Pg1) Consequently, public concern over climate change, information and opportunities for people to lower their â€Å"carbon foot print†, a measure of the total consumer responsibility for greenhouse emissions, have become increasingly available. It is imperative that human health is placed within the context of the health of the planet. (food miles pg 3058). In general much of the research around climate change has concluded that food, home energy, and transportation together form a large share of most consumers’ personal impact (food miles pg 3058). Food has a huge impact on the environment. Food production contributes up to 29% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.foodalliance.org.au/article/healthy-sustainable-diets/). Every step of the food supply chain, from production, to transport, processing, packaging and distribution has potential environmental consequences. There is a bi-directional relationship between environmental degradation and food systems. This requires us to consider the impact of climate change on food production and the impact of food production on the ecology of the biosphere, both of which have significant implications on public health. Food production over the past fifty years in particular has had severe environmental impacts in Australia and around the world. To a significant extent, this is due to unsustainable methods being used all the way along the supply chain from agricultural practices through to distribution methods and consumer habits. Due to the increasing acknowledgment o f environmental degradation through the unsustainable nature of many agricultural methods used around the world, the concept of sustainable diets has become popular. (http://www.foodalliance.org.au/article/healthy-sustainable-diets/). According to FAO 2010, Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Why us? While there isn’t a ‘silver-bullet’ that will solve all the environmental issues of our food system at once, there are a number of actions our community can take to drive change in specific areas. The tremendous purchasing power and public visibility of hospitals could be a key lever for building infrastructure and demand for local food. Hospital efforts may also bring attention to public health impacts of the food system, including air and water pollution, residues from pesticides and other toxins, and health inequities in agricultural communities. A stronger focus on food helps hospitals play a role in promoting environmental sustainability and in raising awareness of its links to human health. Plan of Action On analysis the following food sustainable issues within the organisation need to be addressed to contribute to the overall Food is transported great distances Purchasing food that’s grown out of season Resources (especially water, fertiliser, Energy ) are used unsustainably Food Wastage Packaged Food Biodiversity impacts of agriculture Impacts of livestock production on environment Land being swallowed by urban sprawl Above issues can be address by following below practices to achieve food sustainability that not only benefit the organisation but also have an impact on local, national and global food sustainability issues. In Australia, food in the average shopping basket has travelled over 70,000 kms—that’s nearly two times the distance around the Earth. In fact, four imported items alone can account for nearly 50,000 kms. Even if a product is labelled as Australian-made it can still have ingredients from all over the world, adding to its transport footprint. Transporting food long distances, either across Australia or from overseas, generally uses up more non-renewable resources than producing and eating food locally. Energy, fuel, gas and water are consumed during transportation and storage adding to foods’ environmental impact. Transportation from farm, to processing plant, to consumer, can account for up to 11 per cent of food’s total greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce emissions by buying food produced locally. Perhaps the most significant element of any sustainable food strategy is the menu. Appetising food is more likely to be eaten, so it is important to develop a menu that on the one hand is appealing to patients and staff, while on the other hand being high in both nutritional and sustainable value. Menu planning drives the choice of ingredients required, so it is important to design a menu that reduces the use of ingredients that have high environmental and health impacts. (6) Currently our hospital menu offered to patients and cafeteria offers a wide range of food choices without much emphasis on food sustainability. The aim of this project is to revise the hospital menu that is served in the cafeteria and for in-patients and in a years’, plan a â€Å"Greener Menu† that incorporates environmentally sustainable foods which are procured within 100 kilometres of radius around Melbourne. This initiative helps patients, staff and visitors to make healthy food choices and in turn helps in reducing our hospital’s eco-footprint on climate and environmental changes. Short term goals: In 3 months’ time, a minimum of 5% of foods used in the hospital kitchen to come from locally produced foods. In 6 months to aim for a minimum of 25% foods used in the hospital kitchen to come from locally produced foods. In 9 months to aim from a minimum of 50% In a years’ time to achieve the actual goal of 100% foods used to be procured from locally produced foods Above aim can be achieved by following below objectives: (5) By aligning the hospital menu with seasonal production and harvesting cycles Sourcing food locally Adding vegetarian and dairy-free option to the menu Choosing sustainably farmed meat and dairy Including meat dishes that have low environmental impact such as chicken, pork and eggs What needs to be done and how? Overview of evidence: There are various studies conducted in the past that have proven that adapting a healthier and sustainable food choices into the organisation’s menu in turn increased intake of these foods A definition of healthy food procurement that has been used in a review of policies is â€Å"a process which encompasses not just how public bodies procure food, but also how they determine what food they want to buy and from whom; receive and store food; prepare and serve food; dispose of waste food; and monitor their costs† [26]. In Ireland, the impact of a structured catering initiative on food choices was evaluated in a hospital setting [60]. A cross-sectional comparison was made using a 24-hour dietary recall and questionnaire of participants aged 18–64 years in two hospitals; one implemented a catering initiative that promoted nutritious food and reduced sugar, fat, and salt, and the other was used as a control (Table 3) [60]. Overall, this study found that improving the dietary quality of menu items provided in hospitals can reduce the amount of unhealthy nutrients such as fat, sugar, and sodium in foods served to patients in a hospital setting by up to 30% [60] 480 homebound, low-income seniors receiving Meals on Wheels over 4 months in Seattle, WA (USA) Increased access to fresh fruit and vegetables via home delivery. Seniors receiving baskets consumed 1.04 more servings than those in the control group. The number of seniors consuming >five servings per day increased by 17% from baseline. (62) Comprehensive initiative for food public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and prisons in the United Kingdom developed and disseminated a report to encourage consumption of locally grown foods and availability of healthy foods and build momentum for progress. Awareness of the program increased by 24% in 2 years; 72% of local authorities and 69% of schools supported initiative; 54% of users find the guidelines very useful or extremely useful; constraints were identified.(64) How this goal can be achieved? Firstly the current menu needs to evaluated and analysed to see where improvements can be made in regards sustainable change can be adapted. A short survey in the form of questionnaire can be used to determine staff and patients view on moving towards a sustainable menu Educating the food service staff, chefs and hospital management staff about the importance of moving towards a sustainable menu with in the hospitals. This session will also highlight the benefits of sustainable menus for the organisation’s food consumers and to the community. Create a seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar depending on what’s available around Melbourne. This information can be obtained from websites, for example www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/content/whats-season www.woolworths.com.au Need to source the local farmers for different foods, for example fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and also any suppliers for locally produced food items such as jams, relishes, ice creams etc. While choosing the contractors, food sustainability specifications such as including organic, seasonal produce, choosing sustainability farmed meat and dairy. Some of the organisations that can find sustainable food producers around Melbourne. www.sustainabletable.org.au, www.localharvest.org.au, www.foodalliance.org.au, www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au www.aco..net.au (Australian Certified Organic) Once this information is gathered, depending on what’s in season and what foods are available locally, different seasonal menus have to planned and consolidated by liaising with the hospital chefs and the food service team. When creating the menus by adding the region in the dish name or in the description, patients and staff can know where their food came from which in turn acts as role model to purchase local and seasonal produce. Once these menus are consolidated a short survey in the form of questionnaire among the staff can be conducted to get any feedback and suggestions that can be used to make any alterations. Finally, a review of the menus need to conducted to access if the original aim of including 100 percent locally and sustainably produced foods are incorporated in the menu initiative has been achieved. Also analysing the staff and patients food choices before and after the implementation of the Greener menu helps to evaluate if there a change in the way they chose the food items. Who is likely to support and challenge this proposal? The Key supports of this proposal at the community could be from The Local council – considering the proposals is addressing few food sustainability issues which in turn would benefit the community at both local and indirectly at a national scale. Government organisations and NGOs Local farmers as this proposal would the demand for their produce and contribute to their sales. The hospital patients, staff and people who access the hospital’s cafeteria as by purchasing this food they indirectly contributing towards a sustainable environment Challenges Challenges related to instructional buy-in Beyond the foodservice department, hospital leadership is crucial to building institutional capacity and commitment to buy local food. If senior administrators in charge of budget, human resources, procurement, community benefits, and overall institutional strategic direction do not support local food efforts, they can be can be severely crippled. By educating the foodservice department and the hospital leadership about the benefits of the proposal can build help building trust and also gives an opportunity to address their concerns towards the proposal. Challenges related to supply: It is important to note that farm-to-hospital initiatives may be substantially challenged by supply-side issues. Local production of food does not mean that producers would prefer to sell locally, or to sell to institutions. Many farmers are part of existing markets and do not produce enough additional food to supply high-volume institutional buyers. Large farmers may be uninterested in the additional marketing and customer relations that might be required to sell their products locally. So some research needs to be done to understand local producers and their supply ability. Local food may not always mean it’s from sustainable sources It is important to note that ‘local food’ doesn’t always mean it’s produced in environmental friendly conditions. So before accepting any contracts, it’s important to note what sustainable agricultural procedures are used. Visiting the farm yards or the food production units is a good idea to ensure sustainable farming or food productions methods are used. Summary: Recent studies suggest that there is a growing attention towards climate change and opportunities for people to lower their â€Å"carbon foot print† towards the growing Greenhouse gas emissions. It is now imperative that human health is placed within the context of the health of the planet. Every step of the food supply chain, from production, to transport, processing, packaging and distribution has potential environmental consequences. Hospital efforts may also bring attention to public health impacts of the food system, including air and water pollution, residues from pesticides and other toxins, and health inequities in agricultural communities. A stronger focus on food helps hospitals play a role in promoting environmental sustainability and in raising awareness of its links to human health This proposal aims at creating a greener menu in place of the current hospital menu where by addressing few food-sustainability issues that can be modified within the organization. The aim is to procure locally produced food items thereby decreasing food miles, buying local and seasonal foods, choosing sustainably produced food and animal products. This also helps to provide better sustainable and healthy choices to the patients and staff within the hospital. References 5. We Need to Talk About Food – How We Can All Build A Better Food System, https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Sustainability/WhatCanIDo/Pages/SustainableFood.asx 6. Sustainable Food: A Guide for Hospitals 7. Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States 8. Identifying Sustainable Foods: The Relationship between Environmental Impact, Nutritional Quality, and Prices of Foods Representative of the French Diet Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsVolume 114, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 862–869 26 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986994/ [L’Abbà © M., Sunohara D., Wan J. Environmental Scan of Public Food proCurement Policies Related to Sodium. Public Health Agency of Canada; Ottawa, ON, Canada: 2011. pp. 1–93.] 28. 26 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986994/ 60 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986994/ The impact of a workplace catering initiative on dietary intakes of salt and other nutrients: a pilot study.Geaney F, Harrington J, Fitzgerald A, Perry IPublic Health Nutr. 2011 Aug; 14(8):1345-9. [PubMed] [Ref list] In Australia, food in the average shopping basket has travelled over 70,000 kms—that’s nearly two times the distance around the Earth. In fact, four imported items alone can account for nearly 50,000 kms. Even if a product is labelled as Australian-made it can still have ingredients from all over the world, adding to its transport footprint. Transporting food long distances, either across Australia or from overseas, generally uses up more non-renewable resources than producing and eating food locally. Energy, fuel, gas and water are consumed during transportation and storage adding to foods’ environmental impact. Transportation from farm, to processing plant, to consumer, can account for up to 11 per cent of food’s total greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce emissions by buying food produced locally. Buying local produce also addresses some of the other food sustainability issues such as encouraging Promotes sustainable agriculture Gives fair and equal opportunities for local farmers Promotes healthy eating by choosing seasonal produces, Reducing the usage on fuel in terms of land / water and air travel for transporting food across the globe. Considering the multifactorial benefits that local food procurement has on the organisation’s food sustainability issues, it is identified as a key initiative that needs to be addressed in the organisation as a main priority. While there is no single solution to solve all the environmental issues of our food system at once, there are a number of actions our community can take to drive change in specific areas. Hospitals in the community act as role models 1