How a new statewide group is treating food as medicine

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: A new statewide group is looking to help South Dakotans find access to healthy foods in an effort to decrease nutrition-related diseases through a "food is medicine" initiative.

Why it matters

  • The South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative (SDHNC) is made up of people across the state including people who've personally experienced food insecurity, and people who work in healthcare, nonprofits, businesses, state departments, schools, health programs and more.
  • More than 106,000 people are food insecure, according to a 2024 study from Feeding America.
  • The SDHNC will work together to improve access to healthy food by coordinating state-wide research and programs, elevating the voices of people with lived experience and advance policies to improve food and nutrition security.
"We know making an impact requires collective voices working together to build a strong foundation for all South Dakotans," said Tony Burke, government relations director for the American Heart Association and steering committee member of the SDHNC.

What happens next?

SDHNC is starting with providing education about food insecurity, including sharing research and definitions on their website.