Food Affordability: Sustainable Food Center Increasing Food Access Through Double Dollars Incentive

Abstract

Food barriers have become a growing problem for many communities due to lower access to healthy foods. Not having access to healthy foods has been linked to health problems rising in communities. There are several food barriers including affordability of food that causes individuals of low-income groups to struggle to gain access to fruits and vegetables. Communities across the world have been creating and implementing new policies and programs in order to reduce the geographic and monetary barriers to increase food access. The Sustainable Food Center has been utilizing their Double Dollars Program to help lower income families who are on food benefits. Incentives called Double Dollars that are equal to dollars in value are given to individuals that can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables at the Sustainable Food Center farmer’s markets. The data collected by the Sustainable Food Center indicates that the program has affected individuals gaining access to healthy foods. Future research needs to be conducted to understand the effect the Double Dollars Incentive Program as it transitions into the Double Up food Bucks Program has had on healthy food access for lower income groups.