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New York City’s Green Carts program provides a vital source of affordable fresh produce in low-income neighborhoods, but ongoing challenges threaten the program’s future.
According to a new study from the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, Green Cart vendors rely on consistent customer demand and high-foot-traffic locations to earn a sustainable income, making it difficult to operate profitably in some of the neighborhoods originally targeted by the program. These economic pressures shape where carts are ultimately located and emphasize the need for policies that help vendors maintain viable businesses while advancing the program’s public health goals.
For the study, Institute researchers and colleagues used a multi-methods approach to examine how the program operates today and what is needed to strengthen its impact.
The team found that Green Carts are an important source of produce for the more than half of customers who buy from them multiple times per week, but vendors earn a median annual income of $20,000, substantially below NYC’s living wage. Low electronic benefit transfer (EBT) acceptance limits accessibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and more than half of NYC’s public housing developments lack convenient access to Green Carts.
The authors make several recommendations to help the program realize its potential, including financial support for vendors, expanded EBT access, and location incentives aligned with equity goals.
“As cities across the United States explore strategies to address diet-related health disparities and strengthen local food systems, mobile produce vending offers a flexible approach to expanding healthy food access,” says Institute Director of Evaluation Katherine Tomaino Fraser. “Programs like Green Carts can play a meaningful role in urban food policy, but sustained public investment and supportive policy design are critical to ensure both vendor sustainability and equitable access to fresh food.”
