The high cost of fresh fruits and vegetables and the need to restock them frequently can be barriers to healthy eating for low-income families. New research shows that online grocery shopping, combined with incentive programs, can help.
The study, published May 16 in the American Journal of Health Promotion, examined the shopping habits of participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Double Up Food Bucks New York, a fruit and vegetable incentive program. They found that families with young children or transportation challenges were more likely to purchase fruits and vegetables online, including through store websites or Instacart.
"For families with young children and limited time, or transportation challenges, it's really hard for them to get to the store regularly," said first author Eunyoung Myung, postdoctoral researcher for Cornell's Action Research Collaborative (ARC), in the College of Human Ecology (CHE) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). "Our study shows that these daily life barriers actually matter and that online purchasing is not simply about convenience for these families but more of an access strategy."
Co-author Tashara Leak, associate professor (CHE) and co-director of ARC, said the study undermines preconceptions about low-income families' shopping habits.
"People assume that if you have limited resources, you're not shopping for groceries online, but we find that's not true," said Leak, who also serves as associate dean for CHE in New York City. "And nationally, people are really interested in how we can support SNAP families with online grocery shopping to address accessibility, but there hasn't been a lot of research in this area."
The study comes out of a partnership between ARC and the Buffalo-based nonprofit Field & Fork Network, which administers the Double Up Food Bucks program in upstate New York. The program, offered in 53 counties, matches every dollar SNAP participants spend on fresh produce, providing up to $20 a day in credit on either a loyalty card, coupons or through tokens at farmers' markets. Since 2022, ARC and Field & Fork Network have been conducting research to increase enrollment and evaluate the program, which simultaneously helps low-income families stretch their SNAP dollars and improves diets and health.
"We're testing lots of different versions of Double Up to figure out how we can make it easier to sign up, how we can make it easier for them to use their benefits," said Leak, who founded ARC with co-author Neil Lewis Jr. '13, associate professor of communication (CALS). "A lot of families are really relying on SNAP to supply a large proportion of their groceries, and it's hard to dedicate those dollars to fruits and vegetables - that's why providing these incentives and figuring out how to encourage people to use these programs is the right thing to do."
Lisa French, CEO of Field & Fork Network, said that rising costs are just one of many obstacles for SNAP participants.
"It's easy to focus solely on making healthy food more affordable. But that's only step one," she said. "If people don't have the time or transportation to access a nutrition incentive program, it doesn't matter how affordable you can make someone's groceries. This study and our experience with Double Up Food Bucks New York shows that the most impactful programs are the ones that can meet SNAP users where and how they shop."
The research comes amidst federal changes to SNAP that Cornell researchers find will strain state budgets and increase food insecurity. The upcoming changes add urgency to the streamlining and optimization of these programs, Leak said.
"There's a question of what's to come starting next year when states are going to be responsible for footing more of the bill for SNAP, and yet the need is still there," Leak said. "We still need to figure out how to get fruits and vegetables into the homes of SNAP families."
In a survey of more than 450 Double Up participants in New York state, the researchers found that nearly half of the participants used their SNAP dollars to purchase fruits and vegetables online; and that subset was more likely to include families with children between the ages of 0 and 4 or those with a travel time to a grocery store of more than 20 minutes.
As a follow-up to the study, the team is working with Field & Fork Network to pilot an online Community Supported Agriculture program in three counties (Onondaga, Cortland and Tompkins), which will allow SNAP participants who buy a box of produce online to get the next one at half price. The current study helps the team determine who might benefit the most and to target outreach accordingly.
In related research, the team is looking at how to communicate with and recruit SNAP participants to Double Up more broadly and the possibility of automatic enrollment.
"What would it take for New York, the entire state to have an incentive program, where as soon as you swipe your EBT card, the benefits get added onto that card?" Leak said. "We have a seat at the table with state government, community organizers and other stakeholders to figure out how we could pilot this."
Leak and Myung said the partnership with Field & Fork Network, and the translation of research into policy and practice for Double Up, exemplify Cornell's land-grant mission.
"It's rewarding to publish papers, but the more important part is to provide evidence that can help programs become more accessible, equitable and more responsive to the people they serve," Myung said. "That means a lot to me as a researcher."
Funding for the study came from the USDA.
