Partnership for a Healthier America Announces New Partners at 2018 Summit Day One
New Partners Commit to Offer Healthier Choices: Giant Food, LLC and Produce Marketing Association in partnership with Sesame Workshop, while 16 college campuses join peers in national PHA initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C., (May 3, 2018) – Today, the Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA) seventh annual summit, the 2018 Innovating a Healthier Future Summit, kicked off with remarks from Ido Leffler, Co-Founder and Chairman of the breakout e-grocer, Brandless, who spoke about going beyond the brand to disrupt the food ecosystem, Congressman Jim McGovern who shared his thoughts on today’s most effective nutrition programs and how the FARM bill will impact access to nutrition benefits, and Dr. Todd Hobbs, Chief Medical Officer of Novo Nordisk, the 2018 Summit National Sponsor. Throughout the day, PHA stood alongside new partner Giant Food, LLC and renewing partners Produce Marketing Association and Sesame Workshop. Additionally, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in partnership with the American Beverage Association and the National Association of Convenience Stores announced a new collaboration. PHA also celebrated the achievements of Nike, Inc. and 21 colleges and universities that this year completed their commitments.
PHA works with its honorary chair former First Lady Michelle Obama and the private sector to create solutions to end the childhood obesity crisis. As a demonstration of PHA’s reach and scale, in addition to the major companies and organizations above, PHA announced the addition of 16 colleges and universities to a national initiative that aims to curb obesity among young adults. As part of a multi-year commitment, Healthier Campus Initiative (HCI) partners enhance their campus environments to encourage and support greater physical activity and healthier eating habits.
“For the last eight years, we’ve worked across industries both public and private to collaborate on innovative initiatives to increase access to healthy and nutritious foods,” said Nancy E. Roman, President and CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America. “The commitments announced by our partners today exemplify a steadfast commitment to work together to proactively drive lasting change and create a culture where healthy eating and physical activity is accessible and affordable.”
Commitments Announced on Day 1
Giant Food, LLC
Giant Food, LLC has committed to incorporating front-of-package nutrition labels on all private label products and ensuring that at least 55 percent of private label brands achieve 1, 2 or 3 stars through the Guiding Stars nutrition labeling program. Giant Food will also bring FNV, PHA’s marketing campaign that uses unique creative and celebrities to drive consumption of fruits and vegetables, to over 90 stores in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area.
Produce Marketing Association and with Sesame Workshop
In 2013, Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and Sesame Workshop (the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street) launched the eat brighter!™ initiative which leverages the strength and influence of the Sesame Street brand and characters to inspire children and families to choose fresh fruits and vegetables. The initiative, which features characters like Big Bird, Elmo, and Abby Cadabby on produce packaging and store signage has been extended through 2021.
Healthier Campus Initiative
Sixteen new college campuses joined a growing community of HCI partners – now 67 strong – working to create healthier campus communities. The initiative is a national effort to create campus environments that encourage and support greater physical activity and healthier eating habits. Each university partner has committed to meeting guidelines developed by PHA in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading nutrition, physical activity and campus wellness experts. New members announced today include:
- Bethune Cookman University
- California State University Fullerton
- California State University Sacramento
- Cheyney University
- Davidson College
- Florida A&M University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- University of North Carolina Greensboro
- University of Richmond
- University of Texas – Arlington
- University of Virgin Islands
- Wiley College
- Xavier University of Louisiana
American Beverage Association Partnership with the National Association of Convenience Stores
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Partnership for a Healthier America are facilitating collaboration between the American Beverage Association (ABA) and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) to support their respective existing commitments and develop marketing, merchandising and distribution strategies to drive awareness and increase availability and purchases of zero- and reduced-sugar beverage choices, including waters, in convenience stores across the country.
Maverik
Maverik and its more than 300 locations will promote healthier options including fresh fruits and vegetables, healthier packaged food products and made-to-order options. It is also the first PHA convenience store partner to expand healthier beverages in both the cooler case and at the fountain machine. Also, for a six-week period every summer of the two-year commitment Maverik will support PHA’s mission to encourage people to Drink Up through a cause-marketing campaign where it will donate 5 cents from every private label bottled water to PHA with a guaranteed minimum of $25,000.
Completed Commitments Announced on Day 1
Nike, Inc.
In 2013, NIKE, Inc. joined PHA’s Let’s Move! Active Schools initiative with a $50 million commitment to create more active schools and physically active communities around the country over five years. As part of its commitment to get kids moving by convening multiple stakeholders and mobilizing key audiences, Nike was a lead partner in helping PHA develop its seven Essential Practices for Youth Physical Activity, also known as physical activity design filters. These evidence-based design elements are now being used to guide PHA partners in developing high-quality, physical activity programming for youth that is age appropriate, fun and accessible to all age groups.
About Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) PHA’s mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to bring lasting systemic changes that improve the food supply, increase healthy choices, increase physical activity and contribute to a culture of health. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA identifies, accelerates and celebrates voluntary business practices that improve or increase choice or lead to new norms and behavior around food and physical activity. For more information about PHA, please visit http://www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.