Food and Planet

A global movement has awakened to the power of Nature as a vital tool for advancing public health goals. Food and agriculture production consume a significant percentage of global resources (70% of freshwater, 50% of land use). We must accelerate the shift to widespread adoption of sustainable diets if we are to achieve the SDGs or the IPCC’s 1.5°C target. 

Food and Planet leverages the power of health professionals to achieve this goal. It represents a key sector (currently underutilized) that shapes individual choices, plus influences wider system purchases across hospital, foodservice and retail sectors.

Featuring open access to evidence-based frameworks, actionable tools, and collaborations with like-minded organizations, we are forging a tech-based, human centered model for change. Studies show health care professionals are among the most trusted sources of information; leveraging their guidance is vital if we are to meaningfully advance public health and global sustainability outcomes. 

Modern diets and food systems are at the root of the global syndemic - the triple threat of undernutrition, overnutrition, and climate change. Food systems account for 20-30% of global GHGe (FAO, 2015), are the leading cause of NCDs globally (WHO, 2018), and are linked to >50% of all zoonotic infectious diseases (Nature, 2019). Shifting dietary patterns is one of the most powerful strategies to improve both human and planetary health. It’s clear we need to reimagine our current food systems, and we believe healthcare professionals are a vital catalyst for that change. 

Food and Planet bridges the gap between scientific consensus and the development of strategies that empower health professionals to advance sustainable diets. 60% of American consumers cite sustainability as an important factor in food choices, but find it challenging to identify sustainable options. Moreover, 70% say food choices would be influenced if it were easier to identify environmentally sustainable options. (IFIC 2020 Food and Health Survey). 

Registered Dietitians are on the frontlines of providing equitable solutions that span across the food system. Data from our pilot program revealed that 69% of dietitians believe they should be leaders in sustainability, and 88% believe actionable strategies are needed.

We are forging a tech-based, yet human-centered model to address challenges created by modern food systems by leveraging the power of healthcare professionals. Our team excels in translating science into actionable, easy-to-understand guidance. We’ve already partnered with one of the largest continuing education providers in the US to provide open-access sustainability education to registered dietitians around the globe. We envision a Food Intelligence Platform on our website that provides open access to best-in-class practices for health professionals worldwide, with a specific focus on strategies for diverse communities with limited access to healthy foods and communities of color.

We have formed partnerships with leading health organizations such as The True Health Initiative and Oldways, who have the power to amplify our reach across a diverse networks of healthcare professionals.

Our pilot was supported by the world’s largest Certified B Corp, Danone Group, as well as Clif Bar & Company, and Barilla. We will continue to accelerate change by partnering with companies who are committed to the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. Looking ahead, we see ample opportunities to collaborate with industry, NGOs, and tech platforms who seek to scale impact and make meaningful food system change.

Our scope of impact is large; there are over 16 million American healthcare professionals working with patients, educating clients, and shaping policies daily. 

We see two primary communities we serve at Food and Planet: health professionals and their patients, clients, communities, and students. We make it easier for them to have confidence in the guidance they give or the purchasing frameworks they use, ultimately helping them create more positive impact in the world and their community’s well-being.

This May, tested our assumptions by piloting our Sustainable Food System MasterClass, attended by 400+ registered dietitians (with a predicted 7k total attendance over 2020). The feedback affirmed our theory of need: nearly 70% of attendees believe healthcare professionals should be leaders in sustainable food system promotion, but the majority of attendees reported that they have poor knowledge in the area. Attendees also found extreme value in our course, as 94.6% rated it either ‘good’ or ‘excellent. One attendee wrote “To be honest, I was emotionally moved and inspired by the presentations and now feel a heightened sense of empowerment and energy to do something more, especially with the families that I interact with and the community that I live in.”

With recent food system innovations and an unprecedented capital flowing into sectors such as cellular agriculture and closed loop packaging, the ability to distill science at the convergence of health and sustainability, and translate it into real-time guidance for health professionals, is critical to facilitate widespread adoption of these technologies. We believe nimble innovation on the frontlines of the health sector, and Food and Planet can fill that gap.

To measure progress, we will use technology to track KPIs (guided by our Advisory Board) such as slashing consumer food waste, increasing consumption of low-carbon proteins, or expanding biodiversity of diets.  

Systems-based nutrition and sustainability sciences are both underutilized strategies to improve personal and planetary health. We aim to provide solutions that span across the food system to help lead the change in building true social and health equity through guidance on food advice, to implementing cross-sector solutions in government, communities, institutions and industry. Food and Planet helps translate evidence into action through simple yet effective strategies for healthcare professionals.  Globally, there are over 59 million healthcare professionals who can become part of the solution towards advancing progress towards global health goals. 

Food and planet aims to implement change through two primary technological means: translating science and global frameworks to outline actionable strategies on our website aimed at empowering healthcare professionals, and as integrating our strategies into existing technologies such as Up To Date in hospitals (https://www.uptodate.com/home), or into the education framework such Sodexo - the world’s largest Foodservice company (Sodexo https://www.sodexo.com/home.html).

We tested our pilot during a national symposium for registered dietitians, which was attended by 400+ registered dietitians (with a predicted 7k total attendance over the year with our CPE partner). The feedback affirmed our theory of need: nearly 70% of attendees believe healthcare professionals should be leaders in sustainable food system promotion, but the majority of attendees reported that they have poor knowledge in the area. Attendees also found extreme value in our course, as 94.6% rated it either ‘good’ or ‘excellent. 

Healthcare professionals are among the most trusted sources of information globally.  We believe that by empowering healthcare professionals with up to date, evidence-based information, coupled with actionable strategies for change, that we can shift consumer dietary consumption patterns towards those with lower environmental footprints and improved nutrition. 

It is our goal to scale impact to reach One Million healthcare professionals by 2025. Outlined by our Vision Plan, we aim to scale by partnering with a diverse range of stakeholders who share similar values and visions for the future.  

Our goal in the next year is to develop an expert Advisory Board consisting of leading scientists and medical professionals to help bring our vision to life.  We also have numerous opportunities to empower healthcare professionals through the delivery of our already developed virtual MasterClass focused on Sustainable Food Systems.

Our biggest barrier we foresee is obtaining 'buy-in' from healthcare professionals, as many may not see the importance of including strategies for advancing goals around planetary health. 

We plan to partner with leading physicians, dietitians, and food service industry representatives who share our vision and alignment to determine the best possible way to advance the SDGs through empowering healthcare professionals. 

Four leading registered dietitian nutritionists, with the plans to expand to include a diverse range of healthcare professionals.

Our team has been leaders in the space of advancing sustainable food systems through diet changes for over a decade. 

We have partnered with Barilla, Danone Group, Clif Bar & Company, True Health Initiative, Oldways, and the United Nations Association of New Zealand.