Pilot projects in Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah to address high rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases among U.S. Veterans
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Rockefeller Foundation announced the expansion of Food is Medicine (FIM) solutions for America’s Veterans through new pilots in Maryland and New York, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Instacart, Syracuse University, the University of Utah, and 4P Foods, and in North Carolina, with Duke University and Reinvestment Partners. Announced during a Capitol Hill event co-hosted by U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), the new pilots build upon existing Veterans-focused FIM programs in Utah and Texas. Across the five states, The Rockefeller Foundation aims to reach more than 2,000 Veterans, while deepening the research on innovative and scalable solutions that can reduce the high rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases among America’s Veterans.
“Both during and after my decades in the U.S. Navy, I saw firsthand the impacts of food insecurity and diet-related illness on America’s Veterans,” said James Stavridis, retired four-star U.S. Navy Admiral and Chair of The Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees. “Food is Medicine programs are an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of countless Veterans throughout the United States. I’m proud that The Rockefeller Foundation and the VA are continuing to expand access to healthy food to improve Veterans’ mental and physical health at a lower cost.”
Veterans in the United States experience chronic health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, at disproportionately higher rates than the general population. In addition, one in four post-9/11 Veterans is food insecure and at higher risk for diet-related diseases and suicidal ideation, and an estimated 75% of returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan were overweight or obese at their first visits to a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinic according to the NIH. The VA, which is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, provides care at more than 1,380 health care facilities to more than nine million Veterans.
Piloting FIM Solutions for America’s Veterans:
FIM programs can help Veterans manage chronic conditions, improve health outcomes, and reduce health care costs by integrating nutrition into their health care plans. In 2023, The Rockefeller Foundation and the VA announced their partnership to expand Food is Medicine programs, including produce prescription programs, through VA health care facilities across the country. As part of this partnership, the first FIM pilot projects launched in Texas and Utah, which are home to more than 1.5 million U.S. Veterans.
Based on demand and interest in FIM solutions, The Rockefeller Foundation is launching three new Veteran-focused FIM pilots in Maryland, North Carolina, and New York, which are home to more than 1.7 million Veterans. Research accompanying these new projects will examine the effectiveness of (1) FIM programs with Veterans in new geographies, including rural areas, and (2) home grocery delivery versus grocery cards.
The resulting research will assess each project’s impact on participants’ health, health care costs, utilization, and satisfaction. With lessons and data garnered through all five projects, The Rockefeller Foundation aims to inform the development of cost-effective FIM programs that could benefit Veterans across the VA health care system.
Statements of Support from the Event:
The Rockefeller Foundation announced an investment of $80 million over five years in January 2024 to expand FIM programs in the United States. Increasing its total FIM commitment to more than $100 million since 2019, The Rockefeller Foundation’s goal is to improve health in the United States, where diet-related diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are principal drivers of death, disability, and high health care costs. As part of this commitment, The Rockefeller Foundation announced $3.5 million in grant funding last month to support small and mid-scale U.S. farmers, improve health outcomes for people with chronic disease, mitigate rising health care costs in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and advance state-based efforts to include FIM interventions as a medically covered benefit under Medicaid programs.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LI @the-rockefeller-foundation.
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SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation
