Instacart and PHA initiative reaches 5M servings of produce for families

Instacart and the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America say they have connected families with over 5 million servings of fruits and vegetables, a milestone in their ongoing national effort to connect under-resourced communities with 10 million servings of produce by 2025.

Instacart's and Partnership for a Healthier America's joint commitment was made as part of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in 2022, according to a news release. The organizations also announced program impact results from the most recent Good Food at Home cities and an expansion that provides Instacart Health Fresh Funds through the Good Food at Home program to more than 1,000 families in three new cities.

In late 2023, Instacart and Partnership for a Healthier America launched Good Food at Home in Denver; Englewood, N.J.; Milwaukee; and Washington, D.C. The program provided more than 1,100 families with $60 in monthly Fresh Funds produce credits for three months and an Instacart+ membership with free delivery, allowing participants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables online, according to the release.

Results from the four cities highlighted the program's continued success and positive impact on community health and indicated that Fresh Funds provided through the Good Food at Home program empowered under-resourced communities, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and helped families build sustained healthy habits, the release said. As a result:

• 59% of survey respondents reported they ate fruits and vegetables more often.
• 85% said Fresh Funds allowed them to buy more fruits and vegetables than they could usually afford.
• 87% said Fresh Funds helped them build a healthy habit of eating more fruits and vegetables.
• 86% said Fresh Funds empowered them to provide good food for their families, giving them the dignity to choose the items that best fit their unique preferences.

Participants in the program also reported high satisfaction with their experience using Instacart and many plan to continue shopping through Instacart, the release said:

• 88% liked the convenience of online shopping.
• 87% liked the overall shopping experience provided on Instacart.
• 80% reported that online grocery shopping through Instacart saved them time.
• Online ordering using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits significantly increased (from 73% to 83%) from before to after the program.
• More than half said they're likely to continue shopping on Instacart because of the benefits the platform provides.

As a result of positive feedback from participants and the impact on food and nutrition security, Instacart and PHA said they recently expanded the Good Food at Home program to three additional cities, serving more than 550 families in Chicago; 250 families in New Orleans; and 250 families in Wichita, Kan. In each city, Instacart and Partnership for a Healthier America will offer families $60 per month of Fresh Funds for three months to purchase fresh produce from local grocers available on the Instacart marketplace. The program will also expand to additional cities this fall, the release said.

"Instacart is breaking down barriers to food access by empowering 98% of households to get fresh and nutritious food delivered from the local grocers they know and love," said Dani Dudeck, chief corporate affairs officer at Instacart. "Through our partnership with PHA on the Good Food at Home program, we've seen the clear and lasting impact of Instacart Health Fresh Funds on improving food security and encouraging healthy eating habits. By expanding to more cities this year, we're not just transforming access, we're empowering families to make more informed, healthier choices that will benefit them well into the future."

"Too many families in America don't have access to the fresh, nutritious foods that we know contribute to better health," said Noreen Springstead, president and CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America. "Through our partnership with Instacart, not only are we able to get that nutritious food directly into the hands of families who need it most, but we've also proven that we're empowering healthier habits over the long term. I'm extremely proud of the impact that we've achieved so far, and excited to bring Good Food at Home to even more families across the country to achieve PHA's mission of Good Food for All."

Englewood, N.J., Mayor Michael Wildes said the city was honored to be a part of the Good Food at Home program.

"As someone dedicated to improving hunger and nutrition in my community, I know firsthand the impact a program like this can have," Wildes said. "When people have access to nutritious food it leads to better outcomes not just for them but for their community as a whole."

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said public-private partnerships like the Good Food at Home program are a big part of the solution to fighting hunger, addressing poverty and closing healthy equity gaps for families.

"As Partnership for a Healthier America and Instacart bring this innovative food access program to the city, we are pleased to see their experience has helped hundreds of families access more fresh produce and build sustainable healthy habits," Johnson said.

Partnership for a Healthier America says its Good Food at Home program is designed to increase access to food that is affordable, sustainable, nutritious, high-quality and culturally connected and help families build healthy habits. Instacart Health delivers the ingredients for healthier living, leveraging Instacart's platform, products and partnerships to expand access to nutritious food, make healthy choices easier and scale food-based programs with partners across the country, according to the release.

Instacart said it offers online SNAP acceptance from nearly 180 retail banners across 30,000-plus stores, reaching nearly 98% of U.S. households enrolled in SNAP.