The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a food crisis in cities across the nation, but especially in New York City, where historically stark disparities in food security and healthy food access were exacerbated by the pandemic’s economic disruption and subsequent inflation. By 2022, an estimated 1.2 million New Yorkers were experiencing food insecurity, about 14.6%1 of the city’s population.
In response to this crisis, city officials and local non-profits redoubled efforts to improve nutrition for vulnerable populations. These have taken diverse approaches, from enhancing mobile food vending and food distribution programs to leveraging technology and e-commerce.
But how effective have these initiatives been? In the five years since the onset of the pandemic, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute has been taking stock of the impact of programs designed to meet the evolving challenges of food insecurity in post-COVID New York City, conducting evaluation research while serving up strategies to improve program design and outcomes.
In 2008, the city launched the NYC Green Carts program, issuing permits to enable fruit and vegetable vendors to sell produce and—more recently—bottled water, nuts, and cut fruits and vegetables in designated neighborhoods with insufficient food retail. In the post-pandemic period, and after operating for 15 years, the Department of Health was interested in learning about how well Green Carts have operated and hearing evidence-based ideas for improvements. Through a forthcoming one-year evaluation study, the Institute discovered a number of key insights about the program.
While the number of active Green Cart vendors has declined from 490 in 2013 to 241 in 2023, the program continues to play a vital role in the communities in which the vendors sell produce. The study found that customers choose Green Carts primarily for their convenience and affordability, with many reporting buying and eating more fruits and vegetables due to the carts’ presence in their neighborhoods. The study also identified several challenges facing the program, including difficulties with permit processes, the need for better cart designs, and issues with finding suitable vending and cart storage locations. Recommendations for improvement include streamlining the permit application process, providing more technical assistance to vendors, and exploring ways to incentivize vending in high-need areas.
“These long-standing programs need to be evaluated regularly to ensure they continue to accomplish their intended goals,” says Institute Deputy Director Craig Willingham.
The Grand Street Guild Nutrition Access Center (NAC) is a more geographically targeted intervention, focusing on residents of an affordable housing community in lower Manhattan. This program provides monthly food boxes valued at approximately $50, containing a seasonal selection of fresh produce, dairy, and protein. An evaluation led by Institute Director of Evaluation Katherine Tomaino Fraser found significant benefits for participants compared to non-participants in the same community. NAC users reported lower rates of food insecurity across multiple indicators, and were more likely to report eating more fruits and vegetables and experiencing greater variety in their diets due to the program. The NAC’s success appears to be driven not only by the food provided but also by the strong community connections fostered by the program’s staff and volunteers. Participants highlighted the program’s positive impact on community cohesion and their overall sense of well-being.
“The Grand Street Nutrition Access Center is a high-quality and impactful nutrition access program and a great model for joining housing and food policy to support New Yorkers in the ways they deserve to be supported,” says Tomaino Fraser. “The team of volunteers and Grand Street staff that run the NAC built an exemplary program based on trust and genuine community buy-in—an approach that can and should be scaled within the Grand Street community and in other affordable housing communities throughout the five boroughs.”
Citymeals on Wheels, a long-standing organization serving older New Yorkers, has adapted and expanded its services in response to the pandemic and ongoing food insecurity. The organization now provides weekend and holiday meals, emergency food, mobile food pantry services, and fresh produce deliveries to homebound elderly residents. A study of the food and nutrition needs of older New Yorkers commissioned by Citymeals and led by Institute Director and Associate Professor Nevin Cohen found high interest in expanded home-delivered meal services, with 79% of respondents expressing interest in receiving at least one meal daily on weekdays and 71% interested in weekend meal deliveries. This suggests significant potential for growth in services targeting older adults. The study also highlighted the need for more varied choice in meal options, improved communication about available services, and support for older adults in adapting to changes in their food habits as they age. These findings point to opportunities for enhancing and expanding food services for the elderly in NYC.
Nevin Cohen
“During the pandemic, as congregate meal programs closed and supermarket shopping was disrupted, food became less accessible for many older adults, particularly those with mobility limits,” Cohen says. “The Citymeals study showed the need for more diverse nutrition assistance programs to meet the needs of homebound older adults and the wider, growing population of seniors.”
A novel food security intervention is the Groceries to Go program, launched by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 2023 as an outgrowth of pandemic-era food distribution programs and the rapid rise in online shopping as consumers sought alternatives to crowded stores. Groceries to Go provides monthly credits for grocery purchases to low-income residents with diet-related diseases, focusing on enrollees in the NYC Care program run by NYC Health + Hospitals. The majority of NYC Care enrollees are immigrants who do not qualify for federal nutrition benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Participants can use credits of $140 for households of 1-2 people and $300 for households of three or more to order groceries online through Mercato, an e-commerce platform that distributes food from independent supermarkets across the city. This approach not only improves food access for vulnerable populations but also supports local businesses.
A collaborative program evaluation of the Groceries to Go program co-led by Professor Diana Romero and Professor Nevin Cohen found high satisfaction rates among users. Romero and team conducted 51 interviews, in both English and Spanish, with Groceries to Go participants who had used the program for at least six months. Participants also completed a survey on issues such as delivery preferences, changes in food habits, and time/money saved. The subjects reported improved nutrition, with 82.3% saying they eat more fruits and vegetables due to the program.
The program’s use of technology to facilitate online ordering and delivery has been particularly beneficial, says Romero, especially for those with mobility issues or time constraints. However, the study also identified some challenges, such as the need for technical support for those less familiar with online ordering systems.
Romero also described strategies employed by program participants.
“Many folks were quite savvy, for example, in using grocery credits for online purchasing with delivery for heavy, shelf-stable items versus making in-person grocery purchases for items they wanted to select themselves, like meats and produce,” she said.
Across these diverse interventions, several common themes and challenges emerged.
“Many of these programs leverage technology to improve service delivery, from online ordering systems to inventory management tools,” says Tomaino Fraser. “While technology can enhance efficiency and reach, it presents challenges for some users, who might be less tech-savvy.”
Programs also struggle with providing choice to participants while ensuring nutritional quality, the researchers found, particularly in meal delivery programs for older adults. Logistical challenges such as food storage, transportation, and distribution are common across programs, especially for fresh produce. Moreover, many of these initiatives rely on a mix of public and private funding, raising questions about long-term sustainability and potential for scaling.
“The most successful programs seem to be those that foster strong community connections and adapt to local needs and preferences,” Cohen notes. “While barriers remain for marginalized populations like undocumented immigrants,” Tomaino Fraser added, “these public and private innovations have the potential to reduce food insecurity if replicated and scaled.”
As the city continues to grapple with food insecurity post-pandemic, the Institute will continue to evaluate existing nutrition interventions to ensure they continue to meet the evolving needs of New York’s diverse communities and will help city agencies and non-profit organizations design and implement new approaches to improving access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food.
“COVID opened the door for equity- enhancing policies and programs to improve food access among those most affected by the pandemic, including immigrants, older adults, and low-income New Yorkers,” added Cohen. “The Institute’s evaluation research will help improve and grow the interventions that advance an equitable food system and thus a more just and healthier city.”
1. Gundersen C, Strayer M, Dewey A, Hake M, Engelhard E. Map the Meal Gap 2022: An Analysis of County and Congressional District Food Insecurity and County Food Cost in the United States in 2020. Feeding America, 2022.
