The U.S. Department of Agriculture's new Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health aims to accelerate research on diet-related chronic diseases, including cancer. The launch of this new initiative aligns with the Academy’s mission, as well as our recommendations submitted for the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
Also known as ASCEND for Better Health, the long-term goal of this effort is to improve the health and wellbeing of communities across the country, especially underrepresented communities. This new virtual nutrition center of excellence addresses one of the White House’s commitments outlined in the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030.
The online center features sections on Research, with the aim to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how people interact with food, what factors influence food choices, and how dietary choices, genetics, and environment lead to specific health-related outcomes; Data, bringing together nutrition-related research and evidence-based resources to help people make informed decisions about their food choices; and Engagement, because efforts to engage with all communities are vital to building trusting relationships that will improve health-related outcomes for everyone.
The Academy’s own strategic plan includes strategies for how the Academy builds on our core organizational strengths in food and nutrition research and advocacy and communications.
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