Launch of “Food is Medicine” Working Group at UW–Madison

To fully actualize “Food is Medicine” from food production to patient care, a wide range of participants must be engaged – from farmers, to food distributors, to dieticians and healthcare providers, and finally to patients and consumers. Similarly, from a research perspective, a transdisciplinary approach is essential to address the complex, interrelated factors that impact food quality, food access, and health care.

The new UW–Madison Food is Medicine (FIM) Working Group will work to address this need to engage researchers and stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines by bringing together researchers, clinicians, extension professionals, and community-engaged scholars across UW–Madison.

The goal of this working group is to advance interdisciplinary work at the intersection of agricultural production, food systems, nutrition, health, and prevention. This campus-wide group will serve as a forum for connection, visibility, and team formation, supporting collaboration across research, education, policy, and practice. The working group is intentionally broad and inclusive, recognizing that Food is Medicine spans agricultural production, food access and equity, clinical care, community health, environmental exposures, and systems-level prevention. It is jointly led by the Sustainability Research Hub (SRH) and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), in coordination with partners across campus, including the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and the School of Human Ecology (SoHE).

The FIM working groups has several functions:

• Connect faculty and staff working across agricultural production, food systems, nutrition, health, and prevention
• Facilitate interdisciplinary team formation and idea development
• Create space for early-stage conversations around research, education, policy, and community-engaged initiatives
• Support funding readiness by convening interdisciplinary teams and shaping ideas in advance of funding calls, helping position UW–Madison to respond quickly and competitively when opportunities emerge
• Share information about emerging funding and partnerships, as well as events related to Food is Medicine

We will continue to share opportunities for the broader statewide FIM community to engage with the UW–Madison working group as opportunities arise.