How Leaders Can Support Agroforestry—And Why It Matters
OCT 27, 2025
At the Food as Medicine Summit in Chicago, surrounded by leaders in healthcare, food systems and policy, one topic stood out to me as both quietly revolutionary and urgently relevant: agroforestry. It wasn’t the main headline of the event, but I believe it should be the headline for the decade.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines "agroforestry" as "the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits." Unlike monoculture farming, which can strip the land and relies heavily on synthetic inputs, agroforestry mimics the biodiversity and resilience of natural ecosystems. It’s not just a land-use practice—it’s an example of how we can design food systems that nourish both people and the planet. And it's something I believe leaders should be paying attention to—even if you aren't necessarily in the agroforestry space.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines "agroforestry" as "the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits." Unlike monoculture farming, which can strip the land and relies heavily on synthetic inputs, agroforestry mimics the biodiversity and resilience of natural ecosystems. It’s not just a land-use practice—it’s an example of how we can design food systems that nourish both people and the planet. And it's something I believe leaders should be paying attention to—even if you aren't necessarily in the agroforestry space.
Understanding
The Value Of Agroforestry
The Value Of Agroforestry
I’ve been immersed in food and wellness for decades, and my marketing firm specializes in branding for well-being-focused companies. But it wasn’t until recently, when my husband began exploring how to create an agroforestry farm, that the full potential of this approach began to surface for me. It felt like a meaningful sustainability project. And after attending the Food as Medicine Summit, I now see it as something far greater: a blueprint for systemic health.
Agroforestry is not only about how we grow food. In my view, it’s also about how we rebuild the relationship between soil health and human health, and it teaches us to design with the long view in mind. When trees, shrubs, herbs and crops grow together in one system, they do more than feed us. They can help regenerate the land and sequester carbon and protect biodiversity as well as produce more diverse food that can support better nutrition. This is not an idealistic concept; there are programs in the U.S. that link food systems to human health.
Agroforestry is not only about how we grow food. In my view, it’s also about how we rebuild the relationship between soil health and human health, and it teaches us to design with the long view in mind. When trees, shrubs, herbs and crops grow together in one system, they do more than feed us. They can help regenerate the land and sequester carbon and protect biodiversity as well as produce more diverse food that can support better nutrition. This is not an idealistic concept; there are programs in the U.S. that link food systems to human health.
While it's not an agroforestry initiative, in particular, one of the most compelling examples I encountered at the summit was a program in Oklahoma that provides free, locally grown produce to people managing chronic conditions like diabetes. These aren’t random food boxes. They’re clinically integrated, culturally relevant prescriptions designed to shift long-term behavior, as the patients receive education, recipes and health screenings, according to KTUL in Tulsa. From a business and policy perspective, the implications of programs like these are enormous. The program has helped participants lose weight and reduce their HbA1c levels, and it has been found to prevent hospitalizations and improve productivity, KTUL also said.
What struck me most is how this model embodies similar principles to agroforestry. They both rely on local supply chains. They create value by nourishing people. They recognize that food systems must be designed for people, not just for shelf life or convenience.
What struck me most is how this model embodies similar principles to agroforestry. They both rely on local supply chains. They create value by nourishing people. They recognize that food systems must be designed for people, not just for shelf life or convenience.
In conversations throughout the summit, one theme kept resurfacing: Food is not just medicine—it’s an ecosystem. When agricultural practices are aligned with public health outcomes, it may be possible to reduce the burden on our healthcare systems. When we teach patients how to cook, store and preserve whole foods, we can build self-reliance. And when we pay farmers to grow regeneratively, we can create a market that values nutrient density and environmental stewardship.
There’s also an emotional and cultural dimension to this. Food is deeply personal. Healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum; I believe it happens when people feel seen, respected and empowered. In my view, agroforestry, which has roots in indigenous knowledge and embraces biodiversity, offers a model that honors the complexity of our ecosystems and our communities. It challenges us to move beyond one-size-fits-all nutrition and toward food systems that reflect place, tradition and identity.
There’s also an emotional and cultural dimension to this. Food is deeply personal. Healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum; I believe it happens when people feel seen, respected and empowered. In my view, agroforestry, which has roots in indigenous knowledge and embraces biodiversity, offers a model that honors the complexity of our ecosystems and our communities. It challenges us to move beyond one-size-fits-all nutrition and toward food systems that reflect place, tradition and identity.
A Call To Action
For Business Leaders
For Business Leaders
Instead of chasing downstream interventions, we have the opportunity to design health from the soil up, as described by J. Carter Williams, a leader in healthcare innovation. It’s not about managing disease. It’s about building environments—economic, agricultural and clinical—that make health the default. In my view, agroforestry fits into that model.
For business leaders, this means it’s time to ask ourselves: How can agroforestry inform the sourcing strategies of food brands? How can health systems integrate regenerative farms into their community outreach? How can policy support long-term investment in soil and human capital?
These are the questions I’m weighing and the partnerships we’re seeking. Even if you're not directly in the agroforestry space, you can still support it in powerful ways. Educate yourself—take a field trip to a regenerative or agroforestry-based farm. Taste the difference. See the systems in action. That firsthand experience can shift your mindset. From there, look for opportunities to source ingredients from agroforestry producers, invest in community-based farm partnerships or integrate regenerative supply chains into your sourcing strategy.
The solutions may be closer than you think, and the impact can be transformative.
For business leaders, this means it’s time to ask ourselves: How can agroforestry inform the sourcing strategies of food brands? How can health systems integrate regenerative farms into their community outreach? How can policy support long-term investment in soil and human capital?
These are the questions I’m weighing and the partnerships we’re seeking. Even if you're not directly in the agroforestry space, you can still support it in powerful ways. Educate yourself—take a field trip to a regenerative or agroforestry-based farm. Taste the difference. See the systems in action. That firsthand experience can shift your mindset. From there, look for opportunities to source ingredients from agroforestry producers, invest in community-based farm partnerships or integrate regenerative supply chains into your sourcing strategy.
The solutions may be closer than you think, and the impact can be transformative.
STRONGER TOGETHER
Alana formed partnerships with local charity partners like Project Kesher, Karyn Gershon to deliver a generator to the Heart Institute in Kyiv under the leadership of Dr. Todurov. In collaboration with the Ukrainian Refugee Resettlement Project (Weston, FL), and Family-to-Family charity (Westchester, NY), warm pajamas and blankets arrived in time for the holidays at several orphanages in Ukraine.
Alana believes that a small group of people, guided by pure intention and innovation drive meaningful change to help those in need when it matters most.
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