Welcome to ISF!

ISF is a not-for-profit organization working to support and improve ecological health, through advocacy, research, consultation and education. ISF works to build, support and replicate models of success. Consistent with its ecological approach, ISF engages in campaigns which foster relationships and collaboration. ISF recognizes science and the arts as equally important in building a healthy, sustainable world.

ISF provides expertise on environmental toxins, health care design and healthy food systems and has presented and consulted internationally.

Commons Health Care

ISF is a founding member of the Commons Health Care Network. Distinct from our conventional health care delivery systems, a "commons" health care system is community driven  (rather than hospital driven), focused on prevention (rather than treatment),  employs local or bioregional knowledge and solutions, involves regenerative design and promotes integrative medical approaches. For more information and to join the network visit www.commonshealthcare.org. The Commons Health Care helped launch the Commons Health Hospital Challenge, a community clinican called to action on three key prevention initiatives.

Interconnectedness andSystems

Underlying all our work is an appreciation for and recogntion of relationship. It is how change is made and provides the ability to think creatively about mulitbenefit solutions. So, for example by working towards safer chemical policies, we can ehance the health of individuals, workers that make our goods, our environment and community. It draws on the science that links global chemical contamination throughout the web of life.

Similarly, our work on food systems forces the recognition that the issues of justice, access, nutrition and environment and others are false distinctions. They are one and the same. The International Agriculture Assessment highlights the interconnections between human rights, democratic decision making, community health and agroecological.

Again, we apply this approach to our work on a community driven primary treatment model in healthcare. We recognize not only the dehumanising aspect our our current treatment model, but that in the quest for resources neccesary to fuel a healthcare system which represents now approximately 18% of the GDP, we are unintentionally adding to the burden of disesase. So for example, would it not make sense for hosptials to support food that is health promoting and work to reduce and eliminate this common driver of chronic disease.For more information...