Abstract
This paper describes the longstanding, naturally emergent model of curbside vending of whole fruit and vegetable produce across several low-income, low-health Philadelphia neighborhoods. We conducted open-ended interviews with managers of 11 curbside produce vendors and compared prices and varieties of fruits and vegetables with the 11 closest conventional outlets. We find that produce trucks offer significantly lower prices on common fruit and vegetable items and they carry a variety of items comparable to that carried by limited-assortment grocery stores. We conclude with recommendations regarding zoning, licensing, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) authorization that could stabilize and expand this model of healthy food access.
Highlights
Over recent years, a broad literature has documented and described the nature of urban health disparities, including racial, ethnic, and income disparities in access to healthful foods (Beaulac, Kristjansson, & Cummins, 2009; Bodor, Rice, Farley, Swalm, & Rose, 2010; Treuhaft & Karpyn, 2010)
This study demonstrates that curbside produce vendors successfully supply a range of whole fruits and vegetables in a predominantly low- and middle-income African American section of Philadelphia at prices lower than conventional food outlets
Curbside produce trucks emerged as an immigrantrun, long-standing business model in a low-income area of Philadelphia with poor health outcomes, and they offer lower cost fruits and vegetables when compared to supermarket outlets
Summary
A broad literature has documented and described the nature of urban health disparities, including racial, ethnic, and income disparities in access to healthful foods (Beaulac, Kristjansson, & Cummins, 2009; Bodor, Rice, Farley, Swalm, & Rose, 2010; Treuhaft & Karpyn, 2010). In a 2010 door-to-door survey about food shopping habits of 514 residents of West and Southwest Philadelphia, 48 percent of participants said they purchased fruits and vegetables from curbside produce vendors. This percentage is comparable to the use of farmers’ markets (48.2 percent), and far greater than the use of corner stores (10 percent), co-ops (8.7 percent), community supported agriculture (less than 5 percent), and urban gardens (20 percent) (Karpyn, Tappe, Hillier, Cannuscio, Koprak, & Glanz, in press). Produce carts are thought to increase overall demand for fresh fruits and vegetables (Leggat et al, 2012), though these studies did not document vendors sales, profitability, or prices compared with nearby food outlets
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