Uniting Agriculture and Health Care to Support Food as Medicine for All | | |
Dear Community,
We are honored to share that Dr. Tabatha Parker, ND, will be partnering with Food as Medicine Global as our Chief Global Health Officer.
A naturopathic physician, educator, international speaker, and global health leader, Dr. Parker brings decades of experience advancing traditional, complementary, and integrative healthcare, health equity, education, and community-centered care. Her work spans clinical service in Nicaragua, international health policy, and healthcare education, including collaboration with the World Health Organization and leadership with the World Naturopathic Federation and the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine.
Dr. Parker’s Leadership Priorities
As Chief Global Health Officer, Dr. Parker will help shape Food as Medicine Global’s strategic direction, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and advance initiatives that integrate food, agriculture, and healthcare to improve health and well-being. Her leadership will focus on:
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Global Health Strategy & Health Equity: Advancing approaches to food as medicine that are accessible, culturally relevant, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
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Integrative & Whole-Person Health: Bridging food and nutrition with traditional, complementary, integrative, and conventional approaches to health and healing.
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Food Systems & Healthcare Integration: Strengthening collaboration among farmers, food producers, healthcare professionals, health systems, and the communities they serve.
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Global Partnerships & Strategic Collaboration: Cultivating relationships with healthcare professionals, educators, organizations, policymakers, and international health leaders to advance shared priorities.
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Education, Research & Thought Leadership: Supporting knowledge-sharing and evidence-informed initiatives that recognize food as a foundational component of health and well-being.
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Health Policy & Systems Change: Contributing global health expertise to efforts that integrate food, nutrition, and whole-person care into healthcare systems and public health strategies.
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Community-Centered & Culturally Responsive Approaches: Elevating local knowledge, cultural traditions, traditional foodways, and lived experience in the development of equitable food-as-medicine initiatives.
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A Shared Vision for Food as Medicine
Dr. Parker’s belief that holistic healthcare is a human right aligns deeply with our mission to unite agriculture and healthcare to support food as medicine for all. Reflecting on her work and the importance of connecting food systems with healthcare, Dr. Parker shares:
"Food is the most universal medicine we have. Every community on Earth has a relationship with the land and the foods that nourish its people, yet our health systems too often leave that wisdom out. My work in Nicaragua taught me that health starts long before anyone walks into a clinic. It starts in the soil and waters, in the kitchen, and in the traditions communities have carried for generations. Food as Medicine Global brings farmers, fishers, and other food producers together with healthcare professionals and communities at the same table. That is where real, lasting health begins, and I am honored to support this work around the world.”
We look forward to working with Dr. Parker to strengthen partnerships, advance innovative approaches to food as medicine, and help build more equitable and inclusive health and food systems. Please join us in welcoming her and engaging with the conversations and opportunities ahead as we work together to advance food as medicine for all.
With Gratitude,
Heather Carrie
Co-Founder
Food as Medicine Global
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Our Why
The idea of food as medicine resonates with many in health care and food production. Nutrition is increasingly integrated into health professional training, patient care, and discussions around farming, fishing, ranching, and other food systems. However, people across many communities who want to eat well cannot access healthy or even enough food. Many of those producing and providing our food and health care navigate a multitude of inequities.
Join us in supporting a more equitable and inclusive food as medicine movement!
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