The Food Trust (TFT) is a nonprofit leader in developing innovative strategies with neighborhoods, institutions, retailers, farmers and policymakers across the country to ensure delicious, nutritious food for all. Backed by three decades of research and evaluation, our holistic, community-driven approach to nutrition security weaves together access, affordability and education, as well as public policy advocacy efforts. Each year, TFT directly serves over 1.1 million people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and San Jose, California, primarily in communities experiencing poverty and with high SNAP-eligibility. TFT’s technical assistance efforts have reached over 40 states across the country, and our policy and communications efforts are national in scope.
Everything we do is guided by our vision for a more equitable society, where nutritious food is abundant, people of all backgrounds are nourished and prosperous, and communities are thriving. However, TFT recognizes the gaps that persist. Too many Americans face barriers to accessing healthy foods, leading to inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables and ultimately poor nutrition—a leading cause of chronic illness in the country. Diet-related diseases continue to cost our communities almost $50 billion in annual health care costs. Many people have to choose between eating healthy and eating enough, which is often attributable to a lack of convenient grocery access, sufficient budget for healthy foods, and education on the impact of food choices on our health. Moreover, nutrition insecurity and diet-related diseases continue to disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color.
TFT seeks to maximize our impact through a holistic, layered approach, with core programming including:
- Farm to School
- Nutrition Incentives
- Farmers Markets
- Healthy Food Retail
- Healthy Food Financing Initiatives
- Community-based Programming
- Policy Advocacy
The Food Trust (TFT) seeks support in having a more in-depth understanding of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) in order to better support fresh produce affordability and access for low-income Philadelphia residents. FMNP is a federal public benefit that provides low-income seniors and individuals enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) with ~$10 vouchers/checks that can be spent directly on fresh fruits and vegetables. Checks are distributed from June to November each year, with each senior and WIC center setting their own parameters around how frequently checks are distributed to community members. Farmers must be authorized FMNP vendors in order to accept these benefits.
TFT farmers markets have been accepting FMNP—among other alternative currencies like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—for decades in order to ensure that fresh, locally grown produce is not just geographically accessible but also affordable. The organization began as a single farm stand in Southwest Philadelphia’s Tasker Homes housing development, recognizing the potential of urban marketplaces to provide fresh, locally-grown produce while also addressing the lack of these spaces in under-resourced communities. TFT continues this legacy today, continuing to operate 4 year-round farmers markets, approximately 3-5 seasonal farm stands, and supporting 8 additional markets operated by regional partners.
However, despite the availability of these FMNP benefits, they are chronically underutilized by eligible Philadelphia residents. In Pennsylvania, senior centers distribute an average of 95% of the checks they receive with an average of 82% of these checks being redeemed by seniors. Philadelphia lags behind the state average for redemptions, with a rate of 71%. WIC centers statewide distribute just 69% of the checks they receive, and WIC participants redeem only 40% of these checks. While Philadelphia exceeds the state average for WIC-FMNP check distribution (96%), only 30% of checks are redeemed.
In order to support low-income families and residents in Philadelphia, TFT seeks to better understand both the impacts and barriers of FMNP. TFT hopes to gain insights that could support future program design, advocacy, and fundraising efforts. Specific goals include:
- Understanding FMNP distribution and redemption best practices nationwide, particularly in urban settings
- Understanding why WIC participants redeem FMNP at significantly lower rates than seniors in Philadelphia (although this is a state-wide trend)
- Understanding the financial value of FMNP for participants (seniors and WIC users) and farmers
TFT plans to use this information to inform how the organization engages with existing WIC and senior center partners, ensuring there is a strong communication channel between where FMNP checks are being distributed (WIC & senior centers) and redeemed (TFT and other partnering markets). In addition, TFT will use the information around the financial impact of the program to support fundraising and advocacy efforts that could support the implementation of the identified best practices.
1. Report / literature review outlining:
(a) At least 3 FMNP distribution and redemption best practices, with at least one best practice specific to Senior-FMNP and to WIC-FMNP
(b) At least 3 major barriers to WIC participants redeeming FMNP in Philadelphia
(c) The financial benefit of the FMNP program to both senior and WIC-participants
(d) The financial benefit of the FMNP program to FMNP-authorized vendors/farmers
(e) FMNP authorization process and requirements for vendors in Pennsylvania
2. Support the completion of an internal database listing FMNP distribution practices at each WIC center in Philadelphia (i.e. who do they give FMNP checks to, what information is provided to WIC participants about FMNP, how often are checks distributed, etc.) through conversations with WIC Service Center Staff.
FMNP check distribution typically begins in May or June, and all checks remain valid through November of that same year. Thus, conversations with WIC Service Centers will likely need to occur in the latter half of the Capstone Project to capture how they are implementing FMNP in real-time, as opposed to reflecting on the previous FMNP cycle.
