From having access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to supporting the region’s farmers, UC Davis Health is committed to farm-to-fork initiatives that improve food security and access to healthy, locally sourced options.
Healthy Options and Food Security
Circumstances we’re helping to improve:
Reducing environmental impacts
Helping to reduce environmental impacts on our region by leveraging our purchasing power
Supporting local farms and workers
Farm-to-fork contributes to local ag job and income security, including for migrant workers who often face health disparities
Food literacy, access and security
To inspire healthy habits, erase “food deserts,” and support partners helping families with food security
Some examples of our efforts:
Healthy Options, Food Literacy
Spotlight: ‘Farm to hospital’
UC Davis Health strives to become a model for other health care facilities. The medical center is home to one of Sacramento’s largest production kitchens and creator of 6,500 meals a day. In 2017, we began locally sourcing whole-food and plant-based ingredients. The goal: To source the majority of food within a 250-mile radius of the hospital.
Food Literacy
Spotlight: Supporting food literacy education
Our chefs team up with the Food Literacy Center to teach cooking and nutrition in low-income schools, among kids who are at highest risk for diet-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
Farmworker Health
Spotlight: Programs for ag workers
UC Davis Health and UC Davis are home to or involved in a number of projects supporting farmworker health. Some examples:
- Activate, a demonstration project using digital health to improve well-being of underserved and rural communities, in partnership with community health centers
- MOVE IT UP, a project to increase access to COVID vaccines, testing and treatment for historically underserved communities, with a focus on Latinos and Latino farmworkers
- The Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, founded to improve health and safety of agricultural workers through research, training, and outreach
Food Security
Spotlight: Supporting food banks
UC Davis Health partners with local organizations to support grocery programs throughout our community. The health system has provided support for the River City Food Bank and several other local community-based organizations, assisting hundreds of families.
For example, River City Food Bank’s emergency food distributions located in Midtown and Arden provided nearly 3.5 million pounds of healthy, culturally meaningful food to an average of 2,000 low-income households per week in 2024. The Arden location, which is supported by UC Davis Health, served an average of 1,100 households per week.
More Believe in Better Highlights
Some recent examples of our ongoing efforts to advance health for all.
Medical student creates app to empower women and save lives
When second-year medical student Ijeoma Uche isn’t studying or researching, she’s plugging away at an app she co-created that’s gaining attention for reducing health disparities
Heart disease in women takes center stage at 20th annual UC Davis Health forum
The Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program hosted its 20th annual Women’s Heart Care Forum to educate women community leaders about preventing heart disease.
Popular speaker series to address Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s, autism research and more
The UC Davis MIND Institute’s Distinguished Lecturer Series will feature a variety of topics about neurodevelopmental conditions in 2025.
Southern California wildfire evacuation illustrates life lesson for future mental health provider
When a psych mental health student was forced to evacuate her Hollywood apartment during a recent wildfire, she and her class learned important life lessons about compassion.