An oasis in a desert: Building on the SNAP retailer network to increase access to healthier food

Introduction: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's (SNAP) retail network is an under-utilized tool to increase the availability of healthier foods across the United States. Thirty-six percent of authorized SNAP retailers, redeeming $2.7 billion in benefits, are convenience stores. These stores usually carry a narrow range of products that often excludes fresh fruits and vegetables as well as healthier versions of staple foods. In 2009, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), implemented new guidelines requiring vendors to carry healthier foods. Program evaluations indicate that small stores were able to successful accommodate the change. This policy analysis examines the impact of similarly modifying SNAP product-offering requirements to include more healthful options. Methods: We review evidence regarding SNAP utilization patterns, retailer participation data, the experience of small WIC retailers, and other relevant literature. We then analyze the impact and feasibility of this policy change, using the Intervention Decision Matrix. That framework examines criteria including effectiveness, feasibility, sustainability, ethical acceptability, political and social will, and potential outcomes of the policy change. Results: The analysis suggests that strengthening the product-offering requirements is likely to increase the accessibility of nutritious foods in communities without supermarkets, so long as the modifications are not so onerous as to eliminate the economic viability of these firms. Discussion: This policy change likely would expand consumer choice in communities without supermarkets while supporting individuals' maintenance of a nutritionally balanced lifestyle.