Here are seven produce-prescription startups aiming to improve food security in the US:
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FarmboxRx: Boston-based FarmboxRx partners with healthcare providers and offers a nutrition programme that provides nutritious food to members of wellness-focused medical plans, helping them eat more healthily.
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Everyone’s Harvest: This Californian organisation operates farmers’ markets and runs the Fresh Rx programme, allowing doctors to prescribe vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables to patients. Grants have helped expand the programme and improve dietary health.
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Hungry Harvest: This company started as a redistributor of surplus produce and evolved into a food and medicine programme called HarvestRX. It collaborates with various organisations to save food from going to waste and donate it to those in need.
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About Fresh: Based in Boston, About Fresh offers tech-enabled food prescriptions through debit cards. It enables food-insecure patients to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and tracks their shopping activity.
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Season Health: Season Health, based in Austin, Texas, offers digital food prescriptions combined with meal delivery logistics. It focuses on helping patients manage and reverse chronic conditions like diabetes.
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VitaBowl: Launched in 2020, VitaBowl offers plant-based meals tailored to different dietary needs and aims to collaborate with health insurance companies to make its meals medically tailored and reimbursable.
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Free From Market: Headquartered in Kansas City, Free From Market is a platform supporting lower-income consumers with chronic health conditions in accessing diet-specific foods. The company has raised funds to expand its delivery model and improve its technology platform.
These startups are part of the growing food and medicine industry, helping to improve food security and health outcomes for Americans.
