IMPACT REPORT
Uniting Agriculture and Medicine to Support Food Sovereignty and Health Justice for All
Uniting Agriculture and Medicine to Support Food Sovereignty and Health Justice for All
Agriculture broadly defined for a diversity of food ways to include farmers, foragers, fishers, seed savers, subsistence hunters, ranchers, wild-crafters, pastoralists, forest producers, and more.
Medicine broadly defined for a diversity of health ways to include all those engaged in health, and healing practices.
Our Vision
A collaborative global community of diverse stakeholders united in a vision of food sovereignty and health justice for all.
Our Mission
To facilitate educational conversations and collaborative engagement for unifying agriculture and medicine to support food sovereignty and health justice for all.
Activities include:
Hosting an Annual Food as Medicine Global Conference and other events for continued cooperative engagement and information exchange.
Stewarding the Food as Medicine Global Resource Directory to increase awareness, collaboration, and engagement to benefit individuals, communities, and the planet.
Facilitating our Online Community Site to promote information exchange and shared learning.
Reflecting On Our First Year With Gratitude
As we reflect on the past year, our team is incredibly thankful for the support that has helped us achieve so much in such a short time. With a clear mission serving as our guide, we have established a group of dedicated Board Members and a Circle of Advisors, earned 501(c)(3) IRS status, built a robust website, secured two grant awards, joined the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) as an Organizational Member, and launched an Ambassador Program resulting in the production of the Nourishing Communities series.
Our LinkedIn network has grown to include over 4,000 professionals, and the Food as Medicine Global Resource Directory and Online Community Site have become valuable resources for connecting and exchanging information. Additionally, our Letter to the Editor responding to the editorial by Kathi J Kemper - “Food as medicine: Health professionals promoting victory gardens in light of climate crisis" - was published.
The highlight of our year was the success of our four-day eco-friendly online global conference. We were grateful to welcome 478 registrants and over 60 speakers from eight different countries. The inspiring program featured the often unheard voices of people working at the intersections of food, health, social justice, community, and planetary wellbeing. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and grant funders, we were able to offer conference scholarships to over 200 attendees and honorariums to 13 keynote speakers.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to being in respectful collaborations while offering online global events and in-person regional opportunities that support community efforts to advance food sovereignty and health justice for all.
Our Why
The idea of food as medicine makes sense to many working in health care and food production. More and more, nutrition is centered in health professional training, patient care, and conversations around farming, fishing, ranching, and other food ways. However, people across many communities who want to eat well just cannot access healthy or even enough food. Many of those producing and providing our food and health care navigate a multitude of inequities.
Join us in creating a more equitable and inclusive food as medicine movement!
Food as Medicine Global Leadership
Board Members
Gabriel Allahdua, Author, Activist in Residence, University of Guelph
Amy Goldstein, MSW, Director, Alliance to Advance Comprehensive Integrative Pain Management
Circle of Advisors
Francis
Sofia Chavez, DNM, Minister, LMT, CCA, COTA, NADA, Founder, Estara Health & Wellness
Beth
Integrative Health & Wellness Coach, Health Educator
Amy Sapola, PharmD, FAIHM, IFMCP
Julie Tran-Olive, ND, LAc Founder of Silicon Valley Natural Health
Scarlet Soriano, MD, ABOIM Executive Director, Duke Health and Well-Being
Beth Rosenthal, PhD, MBA, MPH, Co-Founder, Food as Medicine Global
April Moreno Arellano, PhD, MPA, MA, Founder of Autoimmune Community Institute
Joseph Bogaard, Executive Director, Save Our Wild Salmon
S Prasad Vinjamury, MD (Ayurveda), DACM, MPH
Romanski
Cheryl Martin, MD, MA Attending Physician Family Medicine, BronxCare
Sheila Mary, ND, MPH, LAc Student Midwife, Founder, 5 Elements Health Alliance
Jamie Harvie, P E, Executive Director, Psychedelic Research and Training Institute
Nadine Ijaz, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Law and Legal Studies, Carleton University
Melina Meza, BSN, 500-Hour RYT, Ayurvedic Health Educator, Author
Malik Tiedt, BSPH Nutrition Science, BA Medical Anthropology
Patricia StandTal Clarke, MD, DMin, FAAFP, ABOIM, Didanawisgi
Daniel F. Gallego-Pérez, MD, DrPH
Heather Carrie, MAS, President & CEO
Kathleen Scheible, CCH Certified Board Classical Homeopath, Urban Farmer
John S Finnell ND, PhD(C), MPH, DiplOM, Program Manager, Whole Health
Ricardo Ghelman, MD, Ph D Founding Chair, Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health
Bosah, Founder/CEO, Health of the Soil International
Our Logo
Acknowledgments
Logo Graphic Design by Cassandra Lee Houston.
Cover collage photos by Anda Ambrosini, Melanie Anderson, David Clode, Gabriel Jimenez, Taylor Kiser, Brook Lark, Nadine Primeau, Andrew Ridley, Joanie Simon, Markus Spiske, and Marek Studzinski on Unsplash.
2023 Conference
Demographics
478 Registrants
From 16 Countries
35 U.S States and Territories
Attendee Testimonials
"The Food as Medicine Global conference surpassed all of my expectations. Online conferences can be difficult to pay attention to, but not this one, each speaker was unique, interesting, and brought new perspectives. I felt this conference was so much more than the same old ideas, it was fresh and exciting ideas around food as medicine by speakers who were making a difference in their communities. This conference was focused on solutions with many speakers sharing examples of what they were doing. I also loved that many of the speakers shared their direct contact info and genuinely wanted to connect and engage with the audience. I felt that this conference is just the beginning of building an incredible and diverse community to advance food as medicine globally."
“This was easily the most valuable conference I've ever attended. The amount of information was incredible, and the speakers were diverse and experts in their fields. It provided an unbelievable lineup of speakers. I couldn't stop taking notes the whole time because there was so much information to learn. It was a truly wonderful experience, and the community represented at the conference was welcoming and interactive. This conference was absolutely worth the price, and I fully intend to attend next year."
"I was impressed with the incredible diversity of both speakers and presentations, as well as the depth of knowledge that they brought to the table. I was left full and inspired to weave Food as Medicine into the work that I'm doing."
"This conference is a must as it brings together the many voices and a very diverse community of practitioners, scholars, educators and healers from every corner of the world. I enjoyed learning about the indigenous community food choices and how they use food to heal their wounds and trauma. A very informative conference, very inspiring and healing. Thank you for offering this opportunity."
“The speakers and presenters were all aiming at elaborating the food as medicine from different perspectives for the healthy individuals (women, men, young people and children). The food as medicine conference was an eye opener to me so I can cascade the food as medicine to individuals, households, communities and populations in Burundi, Tanzania and the Great Lakes region; and East Africa Community.”
"The conference exceeded my expectations in ways unimaginable. I met people with whom I was at home immediately. I felt we created a home-space for this essential work."
"The Food As Medicine Global conference was very well organized and informative. The global connection with speakers from around the world was heartfelt and inspiring. It contained a message of hope and LOVE!"
Thank you! Conference Presenters
Oluwole Ajayi, B.TECH, NIM, MISMN, PMP, MA
Gabriel Allahdua, Activist in Residence
Erika Allen, BFA, MA, Honorary PhD
Katie Barth, MPH
Mary Ann Beyster, Executive Producer
Monica Bledsoe, FARM Rx Program Coordinator
Christina Boelkins, BA
Joseph Bogaard, Executive Director
Vivian Camacho, MD, Quechua Midwife
Twila Cassadore, Indigenous Food Educator
Sze Wan (Celine) Chan, MPH, CHES
Arti Chandra, MD, MPH
Steven Chen, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Patricia StandTal Clarke, MD, DMin
Patty Corona, BA, Cooking for Salud® Coordinator
Denise Coventry, MS, RD
Elise Cushman, MS, RD, CSO
Sandra Darling, DO, MPH
Petra Davelaar, ND
Liz Dowd, Director of Farming Operations
Sabrina Falquier, MD, CCMS
Maddy Frey, MPH
Mekenzie Gear, MPH
Ricardo Ghelman, MD, PhD
Mariah Gladstone, Owner of Indigikitchen
Ellen Goldsmith, MSOM, L.Ac., Dip. C.H
Hannah Gordon, ND, FNP, RN
Jamie Harvie, P.E.
Troy Horton, Farm Director and Farmer
Michelle Lynne Hughes, Associate Director
Jessica Hutchings, PhD
Chris Latham, MS, CNS, CKNS
Wei-Chen Lee, PhD
Stephen Lucke, M.A. B.S.
Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, ABOIM
Elizabeth Markle, PhD
Cheryl Martin, MD
Sheila Mary, MD, ND, MPH, Midwife
Jackie Massuda, MS
Thais Mauad, Associate Professor
Russell McIntire, PhD, MPH
Steve Mei, Directors
Melina Meza, BSN
Sarah Moore, MPH
Afshan Omar, HBSc
Jim Perko, Sr. CEC, AAC
Mary Purdy, MS, RDN
Hernan José García Ramírez, MD
Elizabeth Rapacz, Student
Lisa Goldman Rosas, PhD, MPH
Adam Sadowski, ND, MS
Vera Lucia Salvo, PhD, Nutritionist
Steven Schindler, Executive Director
Sasha Shankar, Co-Farm Director
Gabby Shipta, Sous Chef
Shalini Singh-Karnik, MD
Tammara Soma, PhD
Scarlet Soriano, MD, ABOIM
Alicia Spalding, ND
Johnnie Thomas, RN
Malik Tiedt, BSPH, BA
Stephanie White, EdD, Chef
Stella Yi, PhD, MPH
Thank you! Conference Supporters
GRANT FUNDER
DAY SPONSORS
SPOTLIGHT SPONSORS
Thank you! Conference Supporters
EDUCATION SPONSORS
Thank you! Conference Supporters
NONPROFIT SPONSORS
Thank you! Conference Supporters
NONPROFIT SPONSORS
Gratitudes
Thank you to co-founder Beth Rosenthal for your work in launching Food as Medicine Global!
Thank you to all of our Board Members and Advisors for donating your time, expertise, wisdom, and support!
Thank you to our grant funders: The Leo S Guthman Fund and the Weil Foundation for supporting us in our mission!
Thank you to all of our conference sponsors for your generous support in the success of our first event!
Thank you to all of our conference presenters for inspiring us and sharing your time, expertise, wisdom, and experience with our growing global community!
Thank you to all of our members, conference attendees and individual donors! We so appreciate your support!
Thank you Malik Tiedt, Emma Gardner and Claire Larkins for volunteering your time as Student Ambassadors!
Thank you to Dr. Griffin McMath for sharing your time and expertise to provide us with conference support during our four day event!
Thank you to Melina Meza for sharing your time and yoga expertise in offering many stretch breaks during the conference!
Thank you to Dr. Maria Abarca Matus for sharing your time as a volunteer Spanish interpreter during our conference!
Thank you to Cassandra Lee Houston for your thoughtful process and skillful design in creating our beautiful logo!
Thank you to Emmy Le for your ideas and work in creating the Nourishing Communities Video Series!
Thank you to Noah Thomas Dolan for sharing your time and expertise as editor and sound designer for the Nourishing Communities Video Series and post production of our conference recordings !
Looking to make a meaningful end of year donation?
Consider supporting us and organizations listed in the Food as Medicine Global Resource Directory.
The Food as Medicine Global Resource Directory features organizations engaging in positive food system solutions.
