Produce Innovation: A key ingredient to addressing America’s health crisis
This article originally appeared in The Produce News. Click here to read.
By Sarah Evanega and Jason Wilson
Innovation is a cornerstone of 21st century life. Whether it’s artificial intelligence, kimchi BBQ pork rinds or the latest phone app, we are constantly bombarded with the different and new.
But what about the innovation in healthy food? How different is the produce aisle today from that of your parents’ era? Yet the American diet and lifestyle have changed dramatically in that time — along with national statistics that show an alarming decline in the indicators of good health.
Though we may seem an unlikely duo, we have each embraced innovation in our careers as a plant biotechnologist and a seasoned creative leading the movement for equitable food access in America. Now we’re combining efforts to leverage our unique experiences to bring a fresh new way of thinking to expand production of and access to nutritious food.
Our motivation? We both have kids at critical ages for establishing the good eating habits that are foundational to optimal health. We’ve also witnessed the challenges faced by other parents who want to do right by their children, albeit with varied and certainly inequitable access to the resources to do so.
If we want our children to celebrate a lifetime of healthy eating practices and our society to make radical progress toward resolving our national dietary crisis, we will need to embrace innovation in many different forms. And frankly, we don’t have a moment to waste.
The leading cause of U.S. mortality is poor diet, which is directly related to malnutrition and chronic diseases. Some 100 million of us are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. More than 600,000 die annually of heart disease. In addition to the human suffering, the direct and indirect costs of obesity and chronic disease in the United States total about $1.3 trillion annually.
Fortunately, these statistics can be reversed in large part by doing something that might seem simple: increasing our consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Fewer than one in 10 American adults and children eat the recommended five daily portions that provide the fiber, vitamins and minerals that support overall good health and significantly reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and certain cancers.
The greater challenge lies in ensuring broad access to fresh, high-quality, culturally affirming produce on a regular basis. Access equals affordability and availability, which means we must get more reasonably priced healthy food options in more places. And that’s where innovation comes in. The private sector, nonprofits, government policies and agencies, and community groups all have a role to play.
For example, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, a small company growing apples in Washington state, pioneered the use of bioengineering to deliver non-browning Arctic Apple slices that appeal to children in school lunches. They are also distributed to convenience stores, providing a fresh-cut produce alternative to the standard inventory of potato chips, candy and other highly processed foods.
On the nonprofit side, Partnership for a Healthier America has implemented creative new initiatives that drive access to fresh produce and address food and health inequity by meeting people where they are.
To meet their commitment to add 100 million servings of produce to the food system by 2025, PHA’s Good Food at Home program provides fresh and frozen produce to families across the country at no cost. The program has connected thousands of families in 30 cities with over 21 million servings of fruits and vegetables.
Federal legislation, such as the farm bill and Older Americans Act, coupled with programs like SNAP, WIC and free or reduced-priced school lunches and after-school snacks, can also be strengthened by embracing innovation. We need greater outreach about the broad value of focusing not just on having something to eat but having something nutritious to eat.
Partnerships are key. PHA leverages the collective power of the private sector, non-profits, and government to break down the systemic barriers to nutritious, affordable, and culturally affirming food.
To again illustrate the value of partnerships, DNO Produce is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to introduce fun, innovative new produce options to school kids through the Snacktime Explorers program they support through the nonprofit Pilot Light.
Make no mistake: it won’t be easy to reverse the diet-related health challenges and food inequity that is costing Americans dearly in both dollars and quality of life. Fortunately, effective, scalable models for social change do exist, while emerging technological tools like CRISPR and genome editing can accelerate the pace of innovation in fresh produce.
The U.S. food system is a complicated network that encompasses farmers, distributors, truckers, retailers, manufacturers, safety net programs, policies, schools, restaurants, health care, NGOs, and federal and local governments. It will take commitments and innovation from every sector, but we can achieve our common goal of improving health through enhanced access to more nutritious food.
Sarah Evanega is a scientist and science advocate working globally in food, nutrition, and agriculture. She is vice president of business development for Okanagan Specialty Fruits, the developer of the Arctic Apple.
Jason Wilson is a respected convener and solutions-oriented collaborator who is leading the movement for food equity in the U.S. He is senior vice president of strategic partnerships with Partnership for a Healthier America.