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. 2024 Dec 12:11:1508530.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1508530. eCollection 2024.

Integrating food is medicine and regenerative agriculture for planetary health

Marcia S Rahman  1 , Olivia Y Wu  1 , Kyra Battaglia  1 , Nicole Tichenor Blackstone  1 , Christina D Economos  1 , Dariush Mozaffarian  1
Affiliations

Integrating food is medicine and regenerative agriculture for planetary health

Marcia S Rahman et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

The urgent need to address both human and environmental health crises has brought attention to the role of food systems in driving climate change, biodiversity loss, and diet-related diseases. This paper explores the intersection of Food is Medicine (FIM) and regenerative agriculture (RA) as an emerging approach with the potential to help address the interconnected challenges of human and ecological health within healthcare and food systems. FIM programs, such as produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals, aim to improve health outcomes by increasing access to nutritious foods and promoting nutrition equity. RA, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and reduced reliance on synthetic inputs, offers more sustainable agricultural practices that can align with FIM goals. This paper highlights key opportunities, recent policy developments, and evidence gaps, calling for concerted efforts to clearly define RA practices and foster collaboration between community, healthcare, agriculture, and policy stakeholders. Strengthening these interconnections could lead to more resilient food systems and improved health outcomes at both individual and population levels.

Keywords: food is medicine; medically tailored meals; nutrition intervention; planetary health; produce prescription program; regenerative agriculture; sustainable food system.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Future directions for the integration of food is medicine and regenerative agriculture.
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