With food insecurity on the rise in Utah, finding ways to make healthy food more accessible and affordable is more important than ever. Utah has the opportunity to bring a produce incentive program, Double Up Food Bucks, into grocery stores but we need retailer participation.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as the inability of households to access enough food due to a lack of money or resources.

Utah has a growing issue with food insecurity, and many families in our state struggle to afford healthy food.

There is a proven solution that benefits both your business and local families: Double Up Food Bucks. This program doubles the value of SNAP benefits when spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, making healthy food more affordable while increasing your store sales.

Right now, thousands of Utah families are struggling to afford fresh, healthy food. About 12% of Utahns are experiencing food insecurity, including one in six children.

In San Juan county, over 18% of households experience food insecurity, meaning they don't have reliable access to nutritious food.

For those families relying on SNAP benefits, fresh produce is often out of reach. This impacts health, increasing risks for obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, and these are issues directly affecting the community. Luckily, there's a solution that can help change this reality while driving more business to grocery stores.

Double Up Food Bucks is a proven program that helps families afford fresh produce while supporting farmers and grocery stores. Here in Utah, Double Up Food Bucks is currently only operating in farmers markets, but we're ready to expand to retail!

Here's how it works in retail: When a customer uses their SNAP benefits to buy fresh fruits or vegetables, they get an automatic discount of 25% on all eligible produce.

This program is already operating in grocery stores across the country and it's making a big impact on both store sales and community health.

Why bring Double Up Food Bucks to grocery stores?

Increased sales: Stores participating in Double Up Food Bucks see higher produce sales and an increase in total customer spending.

Attract and retain customers: SNAP shoppers will choose stores that offer Double Up Food Bucks over those that don't.

Strengthen communities: Supporting food access builds loyalty and enhances a store's reputation.

The best part is that this program is funded through grants, meaning there's no cost to the grocery store!

Implementing Double Up Food Bucks in a grocery store is simple. Here's how to get started:

1. Sign up- get connected to helpful resources and professionals
2. Implement the program- we'll handle staff training, provide marketing materials and support store set up at every step.
3. Start seeing the impact- more customers, higher sales, and a healthier community are right around the corner!

This is an opportunity to make a real difference in the San Juan community while simultaneously growing business with no cost to the store! Ready to take the next step?