In a global collaboration, FIHF led a coalition of 53 researchers in developing an innovative approach to enhance public health globally. By improving wheat and other staple foods through application of agricultural and food science techniques, the collaborators propose enhancing nutrition at population scale without asking people to change their diets individually.
Read the paper and download the full study here.
Featured at 2026 American Association for Advancement of Science Conference (AAAS)
The proposed public health shift and paper are featured in a panel discussion at the 2026 AAAS symposium: Following the Fiber: From Farm to Fork. FIHF employees and collaborating scientists discuss how to scale agricultural changes to improve nutrition globally. This conference, hosted by the publishers of the journal Science, brings together scientists, policymakers, innovators, industry leaders, academics, and more to discuss how to utilize data and scientific knowledge for public good.
The Problem Addressed: Chronic Disease Plagues Global Communities, with Nutrition a Key Cause
For decades, chronic disease has continued to plague populations globally, in part as a result of nutritionally insufficient diets. Despite efforts to encourage consumers to make changes to their lifestyles individually, healthcare systems continue to bear the strain.
A contributing factor to these nutritionally insufficient diet trends is individuals not consuming enough fiber, or foods with high-fiber content. The researchers noted in the paper that, “The Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, assessing dietary habits in 195 countries, found that in all regions evaluated, dietary fiber intake was below that study’s target of 25 g per day” (page 3).
The Idea: Change the System, Not Individual Diets
In the paper “Toward an Emerging Public Health Paradigm: Agriculture and Food Production for Health”, 53 researchers detailed a plan to revitalize the public health paradigm by making systemic changes to food production in order to make the food we eat healthier.
The researchers suggest that scientists and agriculture professionals work together to increase the nutritional value of crops with wheat as an example. Specifically increasing the fiber content of wheat through plant breeding and production practices, in order to reduce the prevalence of chronic disease at population scale.
Increasing Wheat Fiber Provides the Initial Case Study
Researchers assert that by changing the fiber content of wheat, there could be improved health changes on a population scale because wheat-based foods are the source of 20% of global energy and 30% of US dietary fiber intake.
Comparative risk modeling projects that commodity wheat breeding that increases fiber content will lead to reduced rates of:
We are thrilled to be a part of this amazing collaboration of 53 scientists working to accelerate the process of identifying the best method to enhance the health of food, without relying on individuals to change their eating habits ,” says Dr. Rod Wallace, founding president of the Coalition for Grain Fiber, a coalition of FIHF.
Read the paper and download the full study here.
