Healthy Food Access
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 40 million people live in neighborhoods without access to fresh, affordable and nutritious food options, making them “food insecure.” Residents of these communities typically rely on fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer little to no fresh food.
Inspired by Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI), which began in 2004, many states and cities are now pursuing food financing programs to help alleviate food insecurity. The federal Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), which started in 2010, has been critical to launching many of these programs. The initiative expands access to nutritious food in underserved communities through strategic partnerships with grocery stores, small retailers, corner stores and farmers’ markets, to equip them with the necessary tools to provide healthy food and step towards health equity.
Other healthy food access programs leading the way include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks. SNAP is a program that helps millions of individuals and families with low incomes buy groceries. Financial incentives such as Double Up Food Bucks, which doubles the value of SNAP benefits spent at participating markets and grocery stores, encourage SNAP participants to purchase more fruits and vegetables, boosting local economies.