Health advocates use produce 'prescriptions' to treat diet-related problems; funding can be a barrier

Nutritionist Shelby Ballinger teaches cooking classes
for Delta Produce RX participants. (RHIhub photo)

Community health advocates in pockets across the U.S. are helping rural community members access fresh produce with healthy food "prescriptions," which treat diet-related health problems.

In Leland, Mississippi, a program called Delta Produce RX serves more than "100 patients of Leland Medical Clinic who receive a monthly $80 credit reserved for the purchase of fresh produce at the Leland Stop N Shop," reports Brendan Stermer of Rural Health Information Hub. "The program is reserved for low-income individuals who suffer from diet-related chronic health conditions. Participants also attend cooking classes, meet with a nutritionist, and receive a membership to the local wellness center."

Leland's program began in 2020 and is run by Delta Health Alliance, a nonprofit healthcare and social service organization, and administered through grant dollars. Shelby Ballinger, a Delta Produce RX program manager and a nutritionist, told Stermer, "It kind of exploded. Word of mouth has gotten around our community, so I get a lot of calls from patients and community members who are interested in the program."

While some might say giving food to address diet-related problems is common sense, it has not been the norm. But the idea is gaining momentum. "According to a 2021 report commissioned by the nonprofit Wholesome Wave, 108 new 'produce prescription' programs launched in the U.S. between 2010 and 2020," Stermer writes. The Wholesome Wave report also "noted an 'unequal distribution of programs,' with the model experiencing 'strong growth on the coasts and within Midwestern urban cities.' Produce prescription programs are still uncommon in rural areas like the Mississippi Delta, where rates of food insecurity and diet-related disease are the highest."

As more programs have opened, more studies show the health benefits and cost savings they offer. Stermer reports, "New research from Tufts University supports the model's effectiveness at improving food security and various health metrics associated with diet-related disease. According to another recent Tufts University study, widespread implementation could facilitate long-term healthcare cost savings of $39.6 billion over 25 years."

Despite the concept's success, funding remains uncertain. Melissa Akers, manager of the Food Policy, Health, and Hunger Research Program at the University of California San Francisco Center for Vulnerable Populations, told Stermer, "Sustainable funding is still tricky." Stermer adds, "Akers [has] interviewed over a dozen 'key informants' working with rural produce prescription programs across the country. Funding came up frequently as the most significant barrier to program growth."

For more on starting a produce RX, Akers co-authored the Rural Produce Prescription Toolkit, which offers nuts and bolts for funding, launching and sustaining a rural produce-for-health program in your town.