WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Biden announcing the rolling out of an $8B initiative aimed at building a healthier America during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
It includes new commitments and what the administration calls a 'call to action' for businesses in our country.
The conference will cover everything from diet-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension, to the dichotomy of our nation facing both a food insecurity and obesity crisis.
Biden says the administration recognized the need to enlist resources outside the scope of the federal government, looking to the private sector for help.
The plan can be broken down into 5 pillars — supporting start-ups to improve food access and education, while expanding nutrition research and creating programs that increase physical activity starting from younger ages.
Pillar 1 – Improve Food Access and Affordability
Major companies like AARP, Chobani, DoorDash, Google and more have committed to programs putting more fresh foods into the hands of Americans on programs like SNAP, Medicaid and the new Affordable Connectivity Program.
Pillar 2 – Integrate Nutrition and Health
Groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine will be putting education about healthy diets in the forefront of patients' minds. Working to to improve understanding of how nutrition can prevent disease like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
Pillar 3 – Empower Consumers to Make and Have Access to Healthy Choices
Major grocers—like Meijer— will supplement those new education initiatives to make buying fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable. The supercenter chain committed to offering a rolling set of automatic discounts on fresh produce for SNAP participants. Walgreens committed to increasing the fresh food available in their stores by 20% before 2030, while Tyson Foods says they will invest $255M over the next 7 years into anti-hunger charities, expanding their lines of nutritious protein products with a focus on rural and underserved areas.
Pillar 4 – Support Physical Activity for All
New initiatives from fitness-sector organizations will get America up and moving.
The YMCA committed to serving more than 140 million meals to kids in need, teaching 5 million kids to swim, and providing safe and healthy preschool options for more than 4 million kids by 2030. In the next 3 years, the YMCA is working with the National Park Services to give 24,000 kids their first experiences in National Parks, and next year they're working with the CDC to expanding evidence-based programs to improve the health of adults through small-group lifestyle nutrition coaching.
Special Olympics will launch a multi-part initiative to grow their programs supporting the fitness, nutrition, and health coaching for people with intellectual disabilities.
Pillar 5 – Enhance Nutrition and Food Security Research
Non-profits and other philanthropic organizations like Grow Local will invest millions into teaching kids and adults how to take charge of their health through nutrition. The International Fresh Produce Association will launch a new public database in 2023, collecting and sharing data on fresh produce consumption with a focus on improving access in underserved areas, while educating the public on how to make healthy food part of their lifestyle.
The Biden Administration hopes that this is just the start of private- and public-sector companies partnering with the federal government to improve America's understanding of a health-based approach to food and the reduction of food insecurity in our country.
This article is a summary of commitments and initiatives implemented through this plan, describing initiatives directly impacting West Michigan. For the full break-down of what organizations are participating and how— click here.
