Improving Nutrition Security for Families with Instacart Health Fresh Funds

We believe that everyone should have access to food, but far too many people – more than one in 10 in the U.S. – face barriers that prevent them from getting the nourishment they need.¹ More than 95% of U.S. households, including 93% of people living in food deserts, already have access to fresh produce via Instacart, and we’re committed to doing even more by leveraging Instacart’s technology to help transform food access.

That’s why, today, we’re proud to share the strong impact results of our initial program with Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) as well as announce an expansion of this partnership. 

Earlier this year, we partnered with PHA, the nation’s leading nonprofit working to improve the food landscape in pursuit of health equity, to measure the impact of produce credits as part of their Good Food for All program in Indianapolis. The program took a two-phased approach: in the first phase, families received pre-packaged produce boxes, and in the second phase, families were given monthly produce credits – redeemable either online through Instacart Health Fresh Funds or as an in-store credit at a local grocer. Program results found:

• 80% of respondents preferred produce credits over produce boxes; 
• 79% of those that received produce credits reported they planned to continue to eat more fruits and vegetables;
• 78% said produce credits allowed them to purchase more fruits and vegetables than they could usually afford;
• And 78% said produce credits helped their family build a healthy habit.  

We were pleased to see families that received Fresh Funds for grocery delivery had significantly higher satisfaction scores, with many noting they favored the selection and choice available on the Instacart marketplace. Families that received Fresh Funds were also more than 10 times more likely to use all of their funds during the program.² Our technology supports sustained healthy eating habits by empowering families to get fresh produce delivered from the local grocers they know and love.

Because of the success of our partnership in Indianapolis, we’re expanding with PHA to further scale the Good Food for All program and increase access to nutritious foods across the country. Fresh Funds will be used to support more than 1,100 families in four new cities this year: Denver, Colorado; Englewood, New Jersey; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Washington D.C. This work furthers our 2022 joint commitment and long-term national partnership to deliver 10 million servings of fruits and vegetables to underserved communities by 2025. Increasing access is at the core of our mission and Instacart Health initiative, and through our partnership with PHA, we’re taking another important step toward achieving this goal. 

To create a world where everyone has access to the food they need, we need everyone at the table. From local businesses to large corporations, healthcare providers and payers to public sector organizations and nonprofits, we believe cross-sector collaboration will lead to the greatest impact. Together, we can make our communities healthier, and we’re dedicated to making nutritious foods more accessible, more affordable and more approachable than ever before.

Learn more about our work with PHA in Indianapolis and results from the program here. 

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1. USDA. “Food Security: Key Statistics & Graphics.” April 22, 2022.  ↩︎
2. Good Food for All in Indianapolis – Research Conducted by Altarum about the Effectiveness of Produce Incentives. https://www.ahealthieramerica.org/indyresearch. August, 2023. ↩︎

Dani Dudeck

Author

Dani Dudeck is the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Instacart.