Sustainable Diets Brief: Produce prescription programs

An innovative strategy for improving healthy food access

Authors

  • Sara Shostak Brandeis University
  • Jolie Black Community FoodBank of New Jersey
  • Stacey Daley Waltham Fields Community Farm

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.briefs.sdb01

Keywords:

produce prescriptions, food is medicine, food as medicine, food security, nutrition, healthcare

Abstract

First paragraph:

How Do Produce Prescription Programs Work?

Produce prescription programs (PPPs) are an innovative strategy for improving healthy food access in order to prevent or treat diet-related illness. Healthcare providers identify patients based on factors such as food insecurity, income, and diet-related health conditions, and then provide “prescriptions” for healthy food, such as vouchers, tokens, or coupons for free or subsidized fresh produce that can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets, or local farms. Many programs also provide nutrition education, recipes, and guidance on food preparation and storage. . . .

Author Biographies

Sara Shostak, Brandeis University

Health: Science, Society, and Policy, and Department of Sociology

Jolie Black, Community FoodBank of New Jersey

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Data Analyst

Stacey Daley, Waltham Fields Community Farm

Executive Director

Logo of the JAFSCD Sustainable Diets Brief series is an apple with North and South America within it

Published

2026-08-14

How to Cite

Shostak, S., Black, J., & Daley, S. (2026). Sustainable Diets Brief: Produce prescription programs: An innovative strategy for improving healthy food access. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 15(4), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.briefs.sdb01

Issue

Section

Sustainable Diets Brief