Food Availability, Security, and Health: Food as Medicine 

Food is more than sustenance, it is a powerful driver of health outcomes. In recognition of Nutrition Month, this Learning Series session will examine how food insecurity, limited access to nutritious options, and structural inequities shape chronic disease risk across communities. Moving beyond awareness, the conversation will explore how emerging Food as Medicine initiatives are bridging healthcare, agriculture, and community systems to improve health and reduce disparities.

Participants will gain insight into the health consequences of food insecurity, including its connections to cardiometabolic disease, maternal health outcomes, and other chronic conditions. The discussion will address the structural drivers behind food deserts and food swamps, as well as the policy and economic factors that influence food availability and affordability.

Featuring Jacqueline Davis-Slay, Senior Advisor in the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at the United States Department of Agriculture, Quyen Pham, Sr. Nutrition Education Specialist at North Texas Food Bank,…