FIM Principles
These serve as the foundation for a global field grounded in evidence, equity, and impact. Food is Medicine interventions should be:
1. Integrated
FIM integrates the provision or subsidization of nourishing food directly into healthcare delivery and financing, specifically to prevent, manage, or treat diet-related conditions (i.e., not just to promote general healthy eating or food security).
2. Aligned
FIM catalyzes collective impact by intersecting and aligning with complementary community, population, and technology programs outside the healthcare system that support the production and consumption of nourishing food.
3. Empowering
FIM equips and empowers people with the knowledge, skills, and resources to improve health through healthy dietary practices and through integrating nourishing foods into everyday life and care.
4. Grounded
FIM is grounded in minimally processed, nutrient-rich whole foods, sourced locally and regeneratively when possible, that are linked to improved health outcomes.
5. Agile
FIM is based on and evolves with new scientific evidence, even when that evidence conflicts with consensus.
6. Inclusive
FIM prioritizes high-need populations to reduce health disparities; is tailored to individuals’ dietary and cultural preferences; is grounded in the lived experience of patients; and considers health burdens and system structures.
7. High value
FIM provides significant value to health systems (including government) and society, for example, related to cost-effectiveness in improving health, health equity, or support of healthy food systems.
8. Scalable
FIM requires supportive policies, financing mechanisms, technology, food systems, and delivery systems that enable sustainable and cost-effective scaling, and leverages health system organizational capabilities.
