The Produce Prescription: Why the Future of Public Health Depends on Us

David Suzuki, the renowned Canadian environmentalist and longtime host of The Nature of Things, recently said what many have quietly feared: “It’s too late.”

He was talking about climate change — how we’ve crossed seven of nine planetary boundaries and failed to shift the narrative. That quote has been stuck in my head — not just because of its implications for our environment, but because it made me think about something more personal: health.

In the past year, I’ve been devouring books like The Body by Bill Bryson, Outlive by Peter Attia, Lifespan by David Sinclair, and Behave by Robert Sapolsky. These books paint a clear picture: We don’t just want to live longer, we want to live better. And diet — especially the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables — is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent chronic disease and improve quality of life.
And yet … we still treat produce like a side note. A commodity. An optional extra.

Something that’s good for you, sure — if you can afford it, access it, or know what to do with it.
We can’t afford that mindset anymore. Not as individuals. Not as a society. And certainly not as an industry.

We Must Close the Health Divide

Our mission as produce professionals can’t just be about growing or distributing food. It must be about growing consumption. About closing the gap between what’s grown and what’s eaten. About ensuring that children and seniors, students and patients, busy parents and struggling families all have access to fresh, affordable, nourishing produce.

Because if we don’t, the health divide in this country — and across much of the world — will continue to grow. And health will increasingly become a marker of privilege.

Health will increasingly become a marker of privilege if we don’t focus on growing produce consumption.

Last July, the International Fresh Produce Association launched a bold new campaign aimed at U.S. policymakers. With taglines like “Before there were co-pays, there were carrots,” and “You can’t make America healthy again without fruits and vegetables,” the message is loud and clear: Produce is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. The campaign urges action on produce prescriptions, school meal reform, and equitable access to real food as part of healthcare and agricultural policy. These aren’t abstract ideas. They’re tangible, proven solutions.

And yet, as Bishop Desmond Tutu once said: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”

This is the moment for us to go upstream.

I’ve worked in the fresh produce industry for most of my career. I love this business — the people, the innovation, the literal fruits of our labor. But I believe our purpose is shifting. It has to.

This is why I serve on the LA Food Policy Council: to help drive local programs and partnerships that bring food justice to the neighborhoods that need it most. It’s also why I accepted the role of chair-elect for the Foundation for Fresh Produce — because this issue requires both grassroots and global solutions. We have to push for change at every level of our food system, from farm to policy to plate.

Suzuki may be right that the systems we’ve relied on — legal, political, economic — haven’t delivered the changes we need. But he also said local communities are where change can still happen. I believe that, too.

And the produce industry? We are the frontline of that local change. We are the growers, the connectors, the educators, the solution-makers.

The next 40 years will look different than the last. Climate change, aging populations, chronic disease, healthcare costs, food insecurity — all of it will intersect in the produce aisle. We need to be ready. Not just with more product, but with more purpose.

The fight for human health isn’t over. But it starts here — with what we grow, what we share, and what we choose to stand for.

Jin Ju Wilder is vice president of marketing and business development at Vesta Foodservice, Los Angeles, CA. She is also chair-elect for the Foundation for Fresh Produce.