Healing from the Ground Up: Forging A Unified Path Between Agriculture, Food Systems, and Healthcare

The current state:

Healthcare delivery, food systems, and agriculture operate largely in isolation today, limiting our ability to address chronic disease and create sustainable food systems. Human health depends directly on food quality, which is determined by agricultural practices and planetary health throughout the food system from production to disposal. Consumers seek comprehensive guidance that goes beyond basic dietary recommendations – they want to understand preventive nutrition while making choices that are economically viable and culturally appropriate.

We envision a future where:

• Consumers have access to foods that support both their health and values
• Our food system supports environmental sustainability while meeting community health needs
• Healthcare systems and their providers are active participants in connecting their communities to health-promoting food systems
• Incorporate food systems and enhanced nutrition education into medicine curricula and residency training
• Farmers are supported in producing nutrient-dense foods through regenerative practices
• Institutions have clear pathways to source and serve health-promoting foods

This summit represents a crucial step toward realizing this vision by bringing together the key stakeholders needed to create systemic change and provides opportunities for engagement, learning, and development and will:

Bridge critical knowledge gaps:

• Enhance healthcare professionals’ knowledge about the food system and agriculture
• Build a shared understanding of how regenerative practices impact soil health and food quality
• Explore connections between soil health, nutrient density, and health outcomes

Drive systems-level change among professional stakeholders:

• Develop collaborative frameworks for agriculture, food systems, and healthcare
• Establish networks for continued learning and implementation
• Develop actionable strategies to implement in individual and collective work within communities

Why it matters

By integrating our approach into agriculture, food systems, and healthcare, we can cultivate more resilient communities, improve public health outcomes, and build a more sustainable future for all.