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Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture

Advancing Health through Agriculture

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Agriculture is the Solution

Now more than ever,

Americans are facing a multitude of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and food insecurity. Additionally, the past three years have underscored major challenges for our food systems that have been bubbling beneath the surface for some time.

At the Texas A&M Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, IHA, we believe agriculture is the solution – the solution to human health, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. The IHA is the world’s first research institute to bring together precision nutrition, responsive agriculture, and behavioral research to reduce diet-related chronic disease in a way that considers environmental and economic effects.

Our mission is to improve human health for all by leading science-driven solutions in agriculture, nutrition, and food systems in a way that supports economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and community well-being for current and future generations through innovative research-based guidance, policies, programs, and practice. 


Three Focus Areas

Composed of three focus areas, the IHA will bring together experts across many disciplines,
including agriculture; nutrition; behavioral, social and life sciences; engineering; data and computation science; and economics.

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Precision Nutrition
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Responsive Agriculture
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Healthy Living

The Challenge

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that six in 10 Americans have a chronic health condition and four in 10 Americans have two or more chronic health conditions. Today, half of all American adults suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes, and 122 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, which alone results in around 840,000 deaths each year.

At the same time, food insecurity is a major issue that has worsened as a result of the pandemic. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one in eight Americans faced food insecurity, and now, high rates of unemployment driven by the coronavirus are expected to leave another 18 million U.S. children food insecure. These numbers add up to 40% of U.S. youth being or soon becoming food-insecure. Learn more about how the IHA is taking this challenge head-on.

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News


IHA leads national conference on agriculture for health

The IHA partnered with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to host a “Conference on Agriculture for Health: Priority Setting to Solve the Ultimate Grand Challenge.” ­The event drew experts from higher education, agriculture, government, and the private and nonprofit sectors.

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Watch the event here

Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture Awarded $2 Million in Funding to Support Social and Behavioral Healthy Living Research

The researchers’ projects aim to improve physical activity and healthy eating habits while promoting positive youth development, especially in economically disadvantaged middle schools. Another project will look at how community cafes – non-profit restaurants that use…
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USDA honors Texas A&M’s Patrick J. Stover, director of Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture

Patrick J. Stover, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Institute for Advancing Health through Agriculture (IHA), has been named the 2023 W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecturer in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nutrition research.
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Texas A&M Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture Seeks Experts to Support Study on Responsive Agriculture

New study aims to set priorities for supporting health through food and agriculture by developing a National Roadmap for Responsive Agriculture Solutions
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