ABOUT US
WHAT IS FED?
FED is an approach to the Food as Medicine (FaM) field, anchored in the core values of Fidelity, Equity, and Dignity. Founded by Benjamin Perkins, in partnership with DAISA Enterprises, Wholesome Wave, and the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (PRC), FED is built on a foundation of community-led design. This innovative model prioritizes the voices, experiences, and active participation of program participants and community members, ensuring that their lived experiences shape and drive our initiatives.
The development of the FED approach happened in parallel with collaborative research conducted in 2021-2022 by DAISA and Wholesome Wave to better understand the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) produce prescription operators. This research demonstrated the need for an equity framework within Food as Medicine, actionable resources to support BIPOC-led programs, increased accessible funding, and a mechanism to uplift and organize BIPOC leaders to enable true power shifting and systems change – thus, the FED Collective was formed.
FED: Fidelity, Equity, and Dignity
Fidelity
The belief and commitment that meeting communities where they are, mans building solutions that serve them. Programs should serve communities and not the other way around
Equity
We work tirelessly to ensure that our efforts increase access to nutritional foods for our most vulnerable community members, and we should always interrogate our policies and practices to ensure that we are achieving that goal.
Dignity
Human beings have inherent worth regardless of their station in life, which is why we are all deserving of health and wellbeing. nutritious food is the vehicle by which we affirm and celebrate human dignity.
WHAT IS THE FED COLLECTIVE
The development of the FED approach happened in parallel with collaborative research conducted in 2021-2022 by DAISA and Wholesome Wave to better understand the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) produce prescription operators. This research demonstrated the need for an equity framework within Food as Medicine, actionable resources to support BIPOC-led programs, increased accessible funding, and a mechanism to uplift and organize BIPOC leaders to enable true power shifting and systems change – thus, the FED Collective was formed.