Funding will support Delta GREENS, among other projects, to advance research that connects small and mid-scale farmers to Food is Medicine programs across the U.S.
Rockefeller Foundation Invests $3.5 Million in U.S. Food is Medicine Programs
The Rockefeller Foundation has announced $3.5 million to expand and strengthen Food is Medicine (FIM) programs across the United States in collaboration with 4P Foods, Adelante Mujeres, Alameda County Recipe4Health, Community Servings, Harvard University’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Hawaii Good Food Alliance, and Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
As part of The Rockefeller Foundation’s $100 million FIM commitment, these grants will advance research, while supporting small and mid-scale U.S. farmers, improving health outcomes for people with chronic disease, and mitigating rising health care costs in communities in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
One of the grant awardees is the Delta GREENS Project, a collaboration between the Friedman School and the Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice in Jackson, Mississippi.
Grant funding will support analysis of the economic, livelihood, and environmental needs and impacts for farmers participating in the Delta GREENS Produce Prescription program, which aims to improve health outcomes via FIM interventions in the Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest regions in the United States.
“We are collaborating to strengthen rural economies, increase the profitability of local farmers, and promote sustainable agricultural practices that improve access to nutritious foods.”
The Delta GREENS Project is part of ongoing research at the Friedman School related to the Food is Medicine Institute (FIMI) — a university-wide collaborative effort bringing together experts from across disciplines with other local and national collaborators to advance food is medicine research, training, patient care, and community and policy engagement.
Food is Medicine (FIM) programs integrate food-based nutritional interventions into healthcare to treat or prevent disease and advance health equity. These are health sector strategies that prescribe medically tailored meals, groceries, or produce to support disease management and optimal well-being, based on the presence of a specific health condition as well as social needs.
“This work aims to contribute to a healthier and more prosperous America. One key initiative from this partnership is the Food is Medicine (FIM) market study, which this Rockefeller Foundation grant will support. This study explores whether FIM programs, like the Delta GREENS intervention, have the potential to serve as a market that enhances profitability for small-scale farmers," said Principal Investigator and Friedman School Dean Chris Economos.
Related degree specializations: Community Interventions and Behavior Change, Nutrition Equity