Social Determinants of Health: Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Programs

The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends fruit and vegetable incentive (FVI) programs for households with lower incomes.  

Strong evidence shows that FVI programs are effective in reducing household food insecurity and increasing household fruit and vegetable consumption. Researchers also found that programs that provided incentives to participants who had or were at risk for diet-related health conditions helped improve blood glucose levels for participants (as measured using A1c levels).

FVI programs are expected to improve health equity across the United States by improving affordability and access to healthier foods for households with lower incomes. Incentive models may include:

• Point-of-sale discounts (i.e., percentage off regular price)
• Rebates (i.e., cash back for future purchases)
• Matches (i.e., money tied to the dollar amount spent)
• Subsidies (i.e., a fixed amount of money available to buy fruits and vegetables)

CPSTF points out the need for further research to assess the long-term impact of FVI programs, effectiveness among different population groups, and opportunities to tailor programs to participants to increase effectiveness.