In 2020, 10.5% of US households faced food insecurity—the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Another 6.6% of households faced low food security, where households must use a variety of coping mechanisms in order to not significantly disrupt their dietary habits, such as enrolling in federal assistance, using food pantries, or eating less varied meals.

Food insecurity is a major driver of health, playing a sizable role in people’s health status. In adults, food insecurity can lead to increased risk of obesity and chronic disease, while children facing food insecurity are at risk for a number of physical, mental, and developmental health concerns. As the push towards value-based care increases, health care executives are increasingly looking to make progress in improving communities’ and patients’ drivers of health, and food insecurity is no exception.

The progress health care executives are trying to make in advancing value-based care can also be referred to as their “job to be done”. A job is the progress someone seeks in a given situation or under specific circumstances. When a job arises, people hire products or services to get those jobs done. People “hire” products or services that they believe have the best potential to accomplish their job.

Several products and services are available for “hire” to address the issue of food insecurity, ranging from federal programs to individual initiatives established by health care providers and community based organizations. In our most recent research on the drivers of health, we discovered a number of innovative programs across the country, with many health leaders seeking to address food insecurity for their patients.

Lack of fresh produce is a specific concern when it comes to food insecurity, and the resulting negative health impacts, especially in food deserts where produce may not even be available for purchase.

Instead of seeking to create their own capabilities to grow, deliver, and/or sell healthy foods to their communities, health executives looking to address drivers of health and improve healthy food access can consider partnering with ugly food companies that already have these capabilities.

Read the full article about food security by Jessica Plante at Christensen Institute.