Mercato Thriving Communities Healthy Food Access Initiative

Abstract. Residents with a chronic lack of access to healthy food resources are at greater risk of being obese and developing obesity related chronic diseases. These diseases include diabetes, several types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and osteoarthritis which can decrease longevity and quality of life and represent rt10% of total health care expenditures annually. Unfortunately, while many groups have recommended making changes to places where people shop for food to increase people’s ability and motivation to purchase affordable and quality healthier food limited options exist. We seek to enable a ‘loop’ where people have easy access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods, are able to easily redeem SNAP and other public/private food benefits, jobs are created, grocers can remain in business and dollars circulate in local communities. Our approach will be achieved with an existing eCommerce and local delivery platform that provides thousands of independent grocers across the country with the technological tools to provide services and a partnership with a local nonprofit with the experience and expertise in providing healthy foods to underserved populations. Aims include (i) Prepare, educate, and enable independent grocers to provide and deliver healthy food in underserved areas with a lack of access via multiple means of payment; and (ii) Enable members of underserved populations the ability to easily access healthy food options online, make healthy grocery purchases, and have these purchases delivered to their homes to improve healthy food access. This project will provide a framework to be expanded and refined in Phase II to other neighborhoods to combat the disparities of healthy food access and the associated negative health effects in underserved communities.