IFPA applauds announcement of White House Nutrition Conference
International Fresh Produce Association applauds President Biden’s announcement that the administration will host the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health this September. Funding was included for the conference in the FY 2022 Omnibus funding package after several years of leadership and advocacy from bipartisan lawmakers, the industry and stakeholders.
“The last time the White House convened experts on food, nutrition and health was 1969. That’s two, or three, generations of consumers since the last cohesive national effort on these significant issues,” said IFPA Vice President of Nutrition & Health Mollie Van Lieu in a news release. “Our nutrition challenges have changed dramatically in the last 50 years with more than three-quarters of the country overweight or obese. We applaud the White House for recognizing the importance and urgency of addressing dietary quality, especially as the consequences of nutritional insecurity are so far reaching. The fresh produce industry has long advocated for increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables but success will require a bold and coordinated strategy and public-private partnership. We look forward to bringing the industry’s expertise and insights to this process as it moves forward.”
The administration will hold a series of regional listening sessions throughout the spring and summer before the September launch of a national strategy with the goal to solve hunger, reduce diet-related disease and increase physical activity by 2030.
Most recently, IFPA joined a letter authored on behalf of members of the Federal Nutrition Advisory Coalition (FNAC) recognizing the importance of the conference and offering support and expertise to inform policy development and recently joined the national Strategy Group on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to help inform the Conference.
IFPA will participate in all available opportunities to provide feedback and recommendations and will share updates with the industry on these efforts. Nutrition policy is a priority for IFPA and the organization is steadfastly committed to collaborating with Congress and the administration to aggressively prioritize nutrition to improve dietary quality for all Americans.
