Green Carts in the Bronx - Are mobile produce vendors selling how and where they are most needed?

INTRODUCTION: Obesity and diet-related diseases disproportionately affect urban, low-income, minority communities. Limited access to fresh produce may contribute. One strategy to address limited produce access is Green Carts (i.e. mobile street carts selling whole fresh produce). Unfortunately, the impact of Green Carts in urban communities is unknown. To provide insights about possible impact, we assessed Green Carts in the Bronx. METHODS: Researchers canvassed the entire geographic area of the Bronx (42 square miles) looking for Green Carts in summer 2010. For each cart, researchers recorded unique permit number, exact location, items being sold, and vendors' answers to questions about when they sell and where. We used ArcGIS software for mapping and spatial analyses. RESULTS: Researchers identified 61 Green Carts. Carts tended to be clustered (average-nearest-neighbor-analysis ratio was 0.54 [<1 = clustered], p <0.0001), and located around medical, academic, transportation, retail, and recreation centers. Nearly 43% of the disadvantaged Bronx area where Green Carts are allowed was greater than 0.5 miles away from carts. A small number of carts sold disallowed sugar-sweetened beverages and cookies. DISCUSSION: Green carts cluster in areas of high pedestrian traffic which might not deliver produce to communities most in need. While high-traffic locations could maximize sales, price competition in these areas could limit profits, and thus Green Cart success. Selling sugary products could augment profitability, but runs counter to the Green Carts' intent. Additional support could help Green Carts avoid clustering and selling unhealthy products, while still generating sufficient revenue to provide fresh produce where needed.