Evaluating the Impact of Subsidizing Purchases of Fresh Produce in Supermarkets for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients

Start Date: November 2016

ID #: 74130

Principal Investigator: Brian Elbel, PhD, MPH

Co-Principal Investigator: Jessica Athens, PhD

Organization: New York University

Funding Round: Round 10

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The 2014 Farm Bill Authorization included $100 million to promote the purchase of fresh produce among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants through matching financial incentives for every SNAP dollar spent on fresh produce. As part of this, the Fair Food Network (FFN) received over $5 million to expand its SNAP match program, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), from farmers’ markets to supermarkets. The aims of this study are to: 1) evaluate the impact of DUFB on the volume of fresh produce purchased by SNAP participants, and 2) assess the impact of DUFB on the volume of “unhealthy food” (i.e., sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, and grain-based desserts) purchased by SNAP participants. The project will use transaction data from 2014-2016 from 62 supermarkets, including 32 DUFB-participating stores and 30 control stores, in Michigan, Kansas, and Missouri, to evaluate changes in the volume of fresh produce and other food categories purchased using SNAP and DUFB after DUFB implementation. A Difference-in-Difference approach will be used to study the effect of the DUFB program, controlling for secular trends and characteristics of stores and their neighborhoods.

Age Group: Adults and Families

Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, American Indian, Asian, Latino(a) or Hispanic, Multi-racial/ethnic, White

Focus Areas: Food Access, Food Retail, Nutrition Policy & Programs, Pricing & Economics

Keywords: Fruits and vegetables, Grocery store, Supermarket, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Urban

Resource Type: Grant Summary

States: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri

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