Join Us in the Fight for Food Equity

Even though the US produces an ample supply of high-quality produce and plant-based products, tens of millions of Americans live in communities where access to fresh fruits and vegetables is either severely limited or non-existent.

Rising rates of obesity in America’s children and young adults are fueling increases in diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. This health crisis undermines academic performance, workplace productivity, military readiness, and diminished quality of life.

In 2020, we witnessed how the lack of affordable access to healthy food has led many to die from the ravages of COVID-19, and that this inequity falls along racial and economic lines. Black, Native, and Hispanic populations are 5x likelier to be hospitalized from COVID-19, and are dying at higher rates than white Americans.

Meanwhile, companies are grappling with competing demands to produce better food for the globe’s growing population and to do so sustainably.

Our vision: All children, families, and adults – especially those disproportionately affected – will live healthier lives free from diet-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.

Our mission: To leverage the power of the private sector to transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity.

Our work: PHA employs its vast convening power, diverse network, and thought leadership to develop and spotlight the top programs and practices with the greatest potential to create positive change in the U.S. food landscape. PHA works with organizations across the supply chain – food producers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers – to improve the nutritional profile of foods and beverages wherever consumers are – resulting in a greater volume of healthier options for all. We also collaborate with other non-profit organizations, including food banks, who understand the importance of, not just providing any food to communities in need, but providing the right food to children and families who suffer the most from health disparities caused by lack of access to healthier food options.

Our impact: Thanks to the work of PHA and our partners, American consumers are regaining control of their health. More than 8.5 million people now live in areas with new or renovated grocery stores, a direct result of our partner commitments that resulted in more than 800 new or renovated stores offering fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious food. In the process, our partners created more than 42,000 new jobs in neighborhoods that needed them.

PHA convenience store partners have over 2,500 locations across 39 states, 75 percent of which are located in food-scarce neighborhoods. PHA also reaches over 77,000 convenience stores through its six (6) distributor partnerships.

In addition, by 2017, PHA’s Drink Up campaign, which sunset in 2019, helped to make water the most consumed bottled beverage in America.

PHA’s work spans diverse communities across the country and touches every sector involved in getting food in the mouths of Americans.

Learn more about PHA’s impact in the most recent Progress Report.