Activating the Food Is Medicine Ecosystem: A Framework for Stakeholder Relationships

Food Is Medicine (FIM) has reached a critical inflection point. What began as a community-rooted response to unmet nutrition needs has evolved into a nationally recognized strategy for preventing and treating diet-related chronic disease, driven by health plans, community-based organizations, food retailers, technology platforms, funders, and policymakers interacting in increasingly complex and interconnected ways.

That complexity is both a sign of progress and a source of friction. Across the FIM ecosystem, stakeholders report unclear roles, misaligned incentives, and partnership structures that strain under the pressure of shifting funding and policy environments. Without intentional design, these challenges can limit efficiency, erode trust, and constrain the ability of FIM programs to scale and reach the people who need them most.

Activating the Food Is Medicine Ecosystem: A Framework for Stakeholder Partnerships is designed to address that gap. Drawing on the expertise of leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors—including individuals with lived experience participating in FIM programs—the report offers a shared language, practical tools, and a menu of partnership approaches that stakeholders can adapt to their own contexts and needs. The framework is organized around three core enablers of effective FIM partnerships: designing partnership architecture, optimizing funding partnerships for collaboration, and building shared understanding and long-term value. Together, these sections provide 57 actionable recommendations for implementers, funders, policymakers, health plans, retailers, and other partners working to strengthen FIM collaboration at every level of the ecosystem.

As federal funding continues to shift and policy pathways evolve, the resilience of FIM depends on how effectively stakeholders across sectors can coordinate, align incentives, and sustain partnerships over time. This strategic framework offers enduring guidance for navigating that complexity and for ensuring that FIM continues to deliver on its promise for program participants and communities.

Download the Table of Recommendations
Download the Stakeholder Map