Improving health is a shared goal, but the key to addressing complex health challenges is bringing everyone to the table to share knowledge, learn from one another, and find solutions. Through our Food is Medicine (FiM) Initiative, UF is bringing together expertise from across the university to address one of the nation’s most pressing health challenges: poor nutrition and its impact on long-term health.
By connecting its world-class agricultural research, statewide Extension network, nutrition science, and major academic health center, this campus-wide effort is uniquely equipped to integrate food, nutrition, and healthcare in ways few institutions can.
What’s new?
The UF FiM Initiative has been working to build a statewide network of partnerships that bring together organizations with shared interests in improving health through food and nutrition and creating opportunities to translate knowledge into action. These partnerships include 4Roots Culinary Health Institute, Winter Park Health Foundation, AdventHealth, Florida Health and Nutrition Coalition, the Florida High Tech Corridor, Florida State University’s Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health (ICON-Health), the UF Diabetes Institute, and the UF College of Medicine.
On Oct 21, 2026, the UF FiM Initiative will host its first summit— an opportunity for the more than 200 UF faculty engaged in this work to get face-to-face updates, share progress, and hear from other leaders in the field. The agenda will include:
- Presentations from UF researchers and leadership including Scott Angle, SVP of UF/IFAS, Stephen J. Motew, president and system CEO of the UF Health clinical enterprise
- Keynote addresses from leaders in nutrition and culinary health, including Patrick Stover, director of the Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health (ICON-Health) at Florida State University, and Chef Hari Pulapaka and Jay Groves from the 4Roots Culinary Health Institute
- A fireside chat about the U.S. agriculture and food system
- Updates on current research, including the UF/IFAS-funded PLANTMED seed funded projects.
- Opportunities to connect and build collaborations, including dedicated time for networking, research poster presentations, and exhibitor displays featuring FiM partners and resources from across the initiative’s growing statewide network
The summit is made possible through generous support from the Winter Park Health Foundation.
Local efforts, such as The Warrior Wellness Project™ reflect the momentum of the initiative in action.
“The partnership between UF/IFAS Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center in Palm Beach County on this project are essential,” said Karla Shelnutt, a UF/IFAS associate dean for engagement who is leading the effort. “By pairing nutrition education with reliable access to healthy foods, this innovative program helps Veterans build lifelong skills that support better health, greater resilience, and long-term wellness. It showcases how UF is partnering with other organizations across the state to create scalable, community-based solutions that make Food Is Medicine a reality for those who need it most.”
In spring 2027, the bi-annual Future of Food Forum is scheduled for March 3 and 4 in Gainesville. Hosted by the Global Food Systems Institute and themed ‘The Next Harvest,’ the event will focus on educating the next generation to build a vision and pathway for resilient food and agricultural systems. Follow progress and learn how you can get involved at https://foodsystems.ifas.ufl.edu/news-and-events/future-of-food-forum/.
Why Food is Medicine?
The need is significant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in ten adults meets the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, contributing to higher rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Not only that, if more adults suddenly raised their intake, our agricultural system would not be prepared to keep up. This initiative aims to address these challenges at their root by increasing production of healthful food, making it more accessible and incorporating nutrition-based approaches into healthcare and community programs.
“The Food is Medicine Initiative represents the very best of what a land-grant university can achieve: connecting research, education, healthcare and community engagement to solve real-world problems,” said Rob Gilbert, UF/IFAS dean for research and executive director of academic affairs. By combining strengths in agriculture and medicine, UF is helping build a future where food becomes a powerful tool for global health.”
Research will be a key driver of this effort. Through the UF/IFAS PLANTMED seed funding program, the university has invested in collaborative projects exploring how food-based interventions can improve outcomes related to diabetes, cardiometabolic health, Parkinson’s disease, and family well-being. These projects demonstrate the power of bringing together experts from multiple disciplines to tackle complex health issues with innovative, food-centered solutions.
More information about the initiative can be found at https://ifas.ufl.edu/Food-is-medicine/.
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