Study shows SNAP families buy produce online 

New research shows low-income families buy more fruits and vegetables when they have access to online grocery and incentive programs. 

A story from Cornell University, citing a May study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, analyzed SNAP families’ shopping, and found the combination of online grocery and the Double Up Food Bucks New York, led to a higher likelihood of purchasing fresh produce. 

“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, in the College of Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “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.” 

The study comes from a partnership between the collaborative and the Buffalo-based nonprofit Field & Fork Network, which administers the Double Up Food Bucks program in upstate New York.  

The program is offered in 53 New York counties and 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. 

The survey of Double Up participants in New York state found that nearly half of the participants used their SNAP dollars to purchase fruits and vegetables online, and that group was more likely to include families with children ages 0-4 or those with a travel time to a grocery store of more than 20 minutes. 

The researchers call on state leaders to expand the program statewide, given that the study shows SNAP participants will buy more fruits and vegetables if they’re given more access and incentives.