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.
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.
In the 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. Read more
Texas A&M’s Co-Director of Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture elected to National Academy of Medicine
Texas A&M Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture and Chicago Council on Global Affairs Announce Committee Experts to Support Study on Responsive Agriculture
