Indian Health Service Awards $3.5 Million for Tribal Food and Nutrition Initiatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. - SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Indian Health Service, has awarded $3.5 million to 14 Tribal and urban Indian communities through the Produce Prescription Pilot Program (P4) to help establish and implement community-driven produce prescription programs across Indian Country. This funding advances P4 into Phase 2, expanding access to healthy foods and strengthening connections among healthcare, nutrition, and local food systems.

This investment advances the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Strategy by addressing nutrition as a foundation of health, strengthening preventive care, and supporting community-driven approaches to reducing chronic disease. Phase 2 builds on the foundational work completed during the original P4, which was established in 2023.

"We are fighting chronic disease at its source by expanding access to real, nutrient-dense food," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "This investment gives Tribal and urban Indian communities the resources to build solutions around their own traditions, foods, and local knowledge. We are putting prevention first, strengthening food sovereignty, and tackling chronic disease before it takes hold."

The following Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations received up to $250,000 each in 2026 grant funding to implement a produce prescription program in their communities:

*Urban Indian Organization

The goal of the Phase 2 pilot is to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of produce prescription programs on American Indian and Alaska Native people and their families, specifically by reducing food insecurity; improving nutrition and dietary patterns by increasing access to and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and traditional foods, while building nutrition knowledge through education that supports healthier food choices and long-term behavior change; and promoting whole-person health and well-being.

"Tribal communities know their needs best and the Produce Prescription Pilot Program has been wildly popular and successful," said IHS Director Mark Cruz. "By investing in community-driven approaches, Phase Two of the P4 scales up what works and builds on successful strategies to improve access to healthy traditional first foods and support better health outcomes."

American Indian and Alaska Native communities experience significant rates of food insecurity and nutrition-related chronic disease. At the same time, Tribal nations and urban Indian organizations possess generations of knowledge about traditional foods, agriculture, harvesting, and community wellness. Each community participating in Phase 2 will develop a program tailored to its unique needs, resources, and cultural values and traditions.

The initiative reflects the Trump Administration's MAHA priorities by emphasizing real, nutrient-dense food and prevention-focused approaches to health. It also supports IHS efforts to improve dietary health and increase access to traditional foods through culturally grounded programs developed in partnership with Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations.

The IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention provides programmatic leadership to the Produce Prescription Pilot Program, as well as extensive training and resources that are widely used by program sites and clinicians across the country. Additional information can be found on the IHS Produce Prescription Programs webpage.

The Indian Health Service, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 575 federally recognized tribes in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook , X , and LinkedIn .