CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project: Perspectives from Implementation in Grocery Stores

This CalFresh Fruit & Vegetable EBT Pilot Project report is co-authored by the University of California, San Diego, Center for Community Health at the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute and Fullwell, Both organizations have been involved in the project since its inception as grantees and implementers in collaboration with the California Department of Social Services and with retail partners in northern and southern California.

The purpose of this report is to share key insights and lessons learned regarding the development, implementation and evaluation of the CalFresh Fruit & Vegetable EBT Pilot Project in the grocery store settings administered by UC San Diego Center for Community Health and Fullwell. Implementation at grocery stores brings supplemental benefits to where more than 85% of CalFresh shoppers spend their budgets, and these insights can build the foundation for future best practices.

The pilot project was also implemented in farmers’ markets. In that setting, the pilot showed that additional work is needed to develop technology and systems that allow the program to be implemented smoothly and efficiently in settings other than grocery stores. Neither UC San Diego Center for Community Health nor Fullwell were involved in operating the pilot project at farmers’ markets. Therefore, this report focuses on the pilot’s impact in grocery store settings.

Authors

• Karemi Alvarez, MPH, UC San Diego Center for Community Health at ACTRI

• Joe Prickitt, MS, RD, UC San Diego Center for Community Health at ACTRI

• Eli Zigas, Fullwell

• Grecia Marquez-Nieblas, MA, Fullwell

• Nancy Knauer, Mother’s Nutritional Center

• Andreina Torres, Mother’s Nutritional Center

• Adriana Bearse, MPH, UC San Diego Center for Community Health at ACTRI

• Blanca Meléndrez, MA, UC San Diego Center for Community Health at ACTRI

Report published October 2024