Professor Jason Wu is Head of the Nutrition Science Program at The George Institute for Global Health and a passionate advocate for using food to promote health and prevent or manage disease. As a recognised expert in the 'food is medicine' movement, he recently participated in a global forum on the topic and shares his experience here.
In September, I had the privilege of joining a forum hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation at their beautiful Bellagio Centre in Italy. The event - Advancing the Global Dialogue on Food is Medicine - brought together 17 researchers, practitioners, funders, and policy leaders from around the world to explore how we can better integrate healthy food into healthcare. It's a topic very close to my heart.
What is Food is Medicine?
Across the world, medical guidelines highlight the importance of good nutrition in preventing and managing chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Yet in reality, most healthcare providers don't have the practical tools to help patients make these changes. Education alone isn't enough, and for those facing food insecurity (an issue that's growing in Australia and globally), it's even harder.
That's where Food is Medicine programs come in. These initiatives - such as produce prescription programs - provide or subsidise healthy foods as part of healthcare prevention or treatment. They are designed to complement community and population programs outside the healthcare system that support nourishing food. The goal is to improve health and advance equity by tackling structural barriers to good nutrition. The evidence is still emerging, but early studies show promising results: improved diet quality, reduced food insecurity, better health outcomes, and lower overall healthcare costs.
Why the forum was held
Building on this growing evidence, The Rockefeller Foundation has made Food is Medicine one of its global priorities, committing US$100 million to support research and speed up integration into health systems - work that has mostly been focused on the US so far.
This forum was about taking that momentum to a global level. It brought together leaders from across research, policy, and practice to share experiences, identify shared priorities, and explore opportunities to collaborate. Through open discussions about what's working, what's not, and where the biggest gaps lie, we began shaping a shared global research agenda and exploring ways to attract greater investment in bringing healthy food into healthcare.
My experience at Bellagio
I was pleased to share reflections from our work in Australia - including the challenges of co-designing these programs with healthcare and community food partners - and to highlight some of our most exciting research in this space.
The forum offered a stimulating environment for thoughtful discussion and forming new collaborations. By bringing together experts with diverse perspectives - from researchers to practitioners to funders - we found areas of alignment (and constructive disagreement) and started building a shared vision for what's next.
It was incredibly energising to hear about pioneering efforts from Canada, the UK, Rwanda, China, the Netherlands, and beyond. Many of these programs are already showing how integrating nutritious food into healthcare can improve outcomes and patient satisfaction. I was inspired by programs that connect food prescription with local growers who use sustainable farming practices - a link I'd love to strengthen in our own Australian work.
Looking ahead
I left Bellagio inspired and grateful - for the camaraderie, the brilliant minds in the room, the generosity of colleagues, the revitalising daily swims in the legendary Lake Como, and The Rockefeller Foundation's support in helping build this new global alliance. Our group has committed to continuing the dialogue and supporting each other's efforts in research, implementation, and advocacy - and I am excited to see where it leads.
