Christina Hecht, senior policy adviser with the University of California's Nutrition Policy Institute, was featured in a Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN) article titled “Why America's food-security crisis is a water-security crisis, too,” published on November 20, 2022. Hecht's research on drinking water safety, access, and consumption informs her advocacy for equitable water access. Her work also highlights water's importance, as an alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages. She also coordinates the National Drinking Water Alliance, founded under NPI's leadership in 2015 with the mission of enabling people to choose water. In the FERN article, Hecht highlights the link between making healthy beverage choices and tap water safety, saying, “We discussed whether we needed to prioritize making sure that tap water was safe, but in 2015, we really didn't think that that was a big issue. Then Flint happened.” This story also appeared in Mother Jones journal on November 25, 2022.
Editor - Director of the Nutrition Policy Institute and Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist