Supporting a More Equitable U.S. Food System
More than 40 million Americans are food insecure, including children, families, and veterans. The Rockefeller Foundation is working to support school meal programs and rapidly expand access to Produce Prescription programs, with a focus on communities of color that face systemic barriers accessing good foods. We’re also putting in motion the shifts necessary to drive positive outcomes for health, climate, and equity in the long run by supporting Good Food policy, programs, and large-scale purchasing. Through our work, we are helping deliver nutritious foods to children and their families while advancing policies to transform the U.S. food system and improve health outcomes for everyone.
- $3trillion
is spent on the U.S. food system, 3x the estimated spending
- ~$604billion
is annually spent on healthcare for diet-related diseases
- <140million
Americans – more than one in three – has obesity, a potent risk for chronic disease
Delivering Good Food to children and their families while advancing policies to reduce the racial equity gap in nutrition, improve health outcomes and create shared prosperity.
Food is Medicine
Diet-related diseases place an enormous burden on individuals, the economy, and national security, yet the health care system still places minimal emphasis on nutrition. The Rockefeller Foundation is investing in the advancement of ‘food is medicine’ interventions that help prevent, manage, and treat illness. With this approach, doctors could prescribe produce or healthy meals as easily as pharmaceuticals and reduce the need for expensive and invasive health services.
Power of Procurement
Large institutions such as schools, hospitals, universities, and early childhood centers collectively spend billions of dollars on the food they serve each year. With that level of market influence, their purchasing choices shape our food system and the diets of millions of Americans. The Rockefeller Foundation is investing in programs that help these institutions set rigorous standards for the food they buy and serve to advance public health and the public good.
True Cost of Food
Our True Cost of Food Report found that Americans pay three times more than the cost of food in stores via increased health care, and the short- and long- term environment costs. With this information, The Rockefeller Foundation is helping policymakers better understand the impact of our food policy choices by advocating for greater investment in nutrition research and accounting for the true costs and benefits of our current diets.
Recent Updates
True Cost of Food: School Meals Case Study
School meals provide critical nutrition for 30 million children and their families across America. When children have their basic needs met, they are healthier and they learn better. For them, school meals often provide the healthiest food they have access to each day and a foundation for their wellbeing and long-term success. In this report, […]
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