A provision in the new farm bill requires that convenience stores that accept SNAP benefits must carry healthy foods, in order to make these foods more accessible in food deserts. As many low-income areas lack access to supermarkets and other food retailers, residents often shop for food at corner stores and convenience stores. These retailers mostly carry unhealthy processed foods, and if these are the closest stores in town accepting food stamps then these end up being the only food options for many low-income residents.
The new provision requires a “dept of stock” of vegetables, fruits, grains and meats. By specifically targeting convenience stores, USDA is aims to improve the quality of food available within the existing food retail infrastructure. These are stores that people already shop at. The new requirement will be in place by the end of the year.
There are, of course, concerns about these new rules. One is accountability and enforcement– making sure that stores are actually complying. The other is that stores may opt to drop out of the SNAP program, rather than meet the new regulations. Store owners face the challenge of accommodating the new foods and being able to sell them– and some may feel that there is not enough demand.
The new regulations are a good start to getting healthy foods into food deserts, but there also must be support of corner stores. If they do not already sell these foods, they may have to make changes in their stores– such as purchasing new equipment like refrigerators and displays– that will be an added cost.
One way to make it work for store owners would be to partner with CDFIs that can provide capital to store owners to make these changes. Most would not require a large loan, and so they may not be able to qualify for a loan from a bank. But CDFIs can provide these smaller loans and also provide the technical assistance to the business owners to make these ventures sustainable in the long-term.
Overall, it is great to see the momentum building around the issue of healthy foods access. Each individual initiative is certainly valuable– from the new rules at USDA to the work of CDFIs to all of the other organizations and agencies working on this issue. However, it is also just as critical that these initiatives work together and take a wholistic approach to the food system in order to tackle the issue in a systemic, long-term way. Groups like the Healthy Corner Stores Network are already working to make this a reality.
