Food & Society at the Aspen Institute's Food is Medicine initiative began with the publication of the Research Action Plan—updated and strengthened in 2024—to establish an evidence-based framework for understanding how food can be leveraged as a powerful tool for health, healing, and overall well-being.
With continued, generous support from the Walmart Foundation, this work expanded through the creation of the Community Action Plan (CAP). Developed during a series of collaborative convenings from 2023 to 2025—also supported by the Ardmore Institute of Health—the CAP brings together diverse leaders across healthcare, food systems, community organizations, technology, policy, and philanthropy. Their shared insights, innovations, and real-world experiences helped shape a practical, actionable set of community strategies that advance Food is Medicine implementation nationwide.
This initiative reflects Food & Society’s commitment to closing the gap between nutrition science and on-the-ground solutions that measurably improve health outcomes.
Watch the recording of the live webinar launch held on January 22, 2026.
The Community Action Plan is a living portal. The authors are: Corby Kummer, executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute; Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling, founder of Fruitful, Inc.; Chris Long, principal research scientist of Center for Nutrition & Health Impact; and Andy Zhang, student body president of the University of Connecticut. The portal was developed by Caroline Karanja of Hack the Gap.
We invite organizations to contribute emerging models, lessons learned, and case studies. Please contact us at foodandsociety@aspeninstitute.org.
Food & Society extends its gratitude to the partners who contributed case studies and resources:
- About Fresh
- American College of Lifestyle Medicine
- American Heart Association
- Ceres Community Project
- Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI)
- Coding for Food
- Community Servings
- DC Greens
- Dion's Chicago Dream
- Feeding America
- Food is Medicine Coalition
- FreshRX
- Mass General Brigham Teaching Kitchen
- Meals on Wheels
- Morrisey Market
- Nutrition Incentive Hub
- Rethink Food
-Tufts Food is Medicine