DIGITAL FOOD JUSTICE IN GEOGRAPHIES WHERE GROCERY DELIVERY SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, SNAP’S EBT TECHNOLOGY IS PERPETUATING FOOD DESERTS By: Karen Jackson Parsons New School of Design MS Strategic Design & Management December, 2014
HYPOTHESIS The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is intended to alleviate the problem of access to food for those below the poverty line. The mechanism of delivery (EBT) actually creates new barriers for people below the poverty line to access food. The SNAP system may not be alleviating the problems it is intended to target but rather deepening and perpetuating the very problems it claims to be solving by way of the technology used for administration. If the technology can be shown as being the weak link, then it can be identified as a critical link to fix so as to truly bring nutritional assistance to those who are in need.
EBT PERPETUATED FOOD DESERT
TRUE FOOD DESERT
Marin City, CA A city that is a food desert in its entirely by definition of that are low-income and low access using vehicle transportation but is served by numerous grocery delivery services.
Downton El Paso, TX Contains numerous food deserts that are low-income and low access using vehicle transportation, but no options for grocery delivery.
• 57.7% of Population in Poverty • 100% of Geography covered by grocery delivery services • Those in poverty, relying on SNAP EBT cannot use EBT to purchase food online, by law.
• 24.3% of Population in Poverty • 0% of Geography covered by grocery delivery services • Those in poverty, relying on SNAP EBT cannot use EBT to purchase food online, by law.
ABOUT SNAP EBT Online food purchases are explicitly prohibited within the SNAP system, as this type of transaction cannot capture the required PIN.
“Food Stamps,” now know as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides food assistance to those in need across all of America. This program serves one in seven Americans including a range of citizens from urban to rural and from children to elderly. (1) Using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), a recipient swipes his/her EBT card through an electronic reader or point of sale terminal (POS) to make purchases at participating retailers. SNAP benefits can only be used to purchase food items authorized by the USDA’s SNAP program and must be made in-person so that the associated PIN code can be entered. State agencies work with contractors (often banks) to manage their own EBT systems for delivery of SNAP and other state-administered benefit programs. In the United States, all SNAP benefits are now issued via EBT.
ADMINISTRATION OF SNAP EBT EBT technology was written into the law.
In the late 1990s, the food-stamp program was revamped, and stamps were phased out in favor the EBT debit-card system managed by private contractors. The 2008 farm bill renamed the Food Stamp Program as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (as of October 2008), and replaced all references to “stamp” or “coupon” in federal law to “card” or “EBT.” (2) Administration of EBT contracts is big business, amounting to more than $314 Million, according to USDA data. J.P. Morgan Chase holds contracts in 24 states to administer SNAP benefits, indicating concentrated power and a lack of competition. In New York, a sevenyear deal paid J.P. Morgan Chase $112 million for EBT services. (3)
1961
1984
2008
President Kennedy initiates food stamps using paper stamps.
EBT Payments begin with prototype in PA.
Food Stamp Program renamed SNAP and EBT written into law.
1974
2004
Food stamp program expands to all 50 states.
EBT use adopted nationwide.
(2)
SNAP BENEFICIARIES & FOOD DESERTS Those who live in geographic regions with limited access to fresh food who rely on SNAP beneifts are faced with heavily constrained options.
According to the CDC, “food deserts are areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.” For a variety of reasons, food deserts trend toward low-income communities that inherently have a high percentage of SNAP benefit-qualifying residents. SNAP participants live, on-average, 1.8 miles from the nearest supermarket and travel an average of 4.9 miles to purchase food which illustrates thier lack of proximity to available food. (4)
LOW INCOME, LOW TRANSPORTATION “FOOD DESERTS” SNAP prohibits the use of EBT to purchase food online, thereby blocking the use of major grocery delivery services like Amazon Fresh and Google Shopping Express that require online ordering.
Food deserts typically have low rates of car ownership and only offer stores that are difficult to reach via public transportation or walking. In this study, low income food deserts with low access to transportation are defined as having the following three characteristics: 1. Within census tracts where a significant share of residents is more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from a grocery store. 2. Fall within “low income” census tracts. 3. Within census tracts where a significant number of housholds report having low vehicle access. It can be assumed that people who qualify as all three of the above have major barriers to purchasing food. This is why these areas have been dubbed food deserts.
STATISTICS (5)
25-30m
2.1m
33%
Americans live in food deserts.
Households do not own a vehicle and live 1+ miles away.
Of pedominantly black NYC districs lack walkability.
ONLINE GROCERY SPENDING ON THE RISE Online Grocery shopping use is rising significantly.
Those who purchase groceries online are largely motivated by home delivery, time savings, and price savings - all essential for those who live in food deserts.
SNAP now represents 10%-15% of the food retail economy. With this in mind and this market is prevented from making online grocery purchases.
THE EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL PAYMENT
Specific hardware have been developed to support the use of digital payment services that range from personal devices to hardware for shops and vendors. Many of the hardware coordinate with specific digital payment services.
Online food purchases are explicitly prohibited within the SNAP system, as this type of transaction cannot capture the required PIN at POS.
91% of Americans now own a cell phone.
PERSONAS & CASE STUDY #1
JULIE LAWRENCE PROFILE
Single Mother
MOTIVATIONS
GENDER
Female
Born and raised in Marin City, Julie feels a deep sense of community in Marin City where she is surrounded by friends and family and knows most residents by name. Beyond taking care of her 3-year old son, she is living with and supporting her grandmother. She and her grandmother both suffer from diabetes and are overweight.
AGE LOCATION OCCUPATION
19 Marin City, CA Cashier: $20,000
GOALS Julie is ver committed to her family and wants to take the best care of them that she can, and take care of herself so that she can provide for her son. FRUSTRATIONS Julie’s doctor is constantly telling her to eat better, but she does not have access to such foods and after being raised on fastfood doesn’t know how to prepare them ehrself.
“Now that my brother joined the marines, I don’t have anyone to drive me to the supermarket regularly. “
MARIN CITY, CA POPULATION
2,962
% IN POVERTY
57.7
% ADULTS OVERWEIGHT
75.1%
% FOOD UNHEALTHY
100%
SNAP SITUATION Julie finds that her SNAP benefits are best used at her place of work, 7-11. The convenience coupled with the discount she receives can’t be beat by the inconvenience and expense of taking a taxi to and from the local Safeway Grocery Store.
EBT INDUCED FOOD DESERT
DELIVERY SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR FRESH FOODS
Map taken from the USDA Food Acccess Atlas
JULIE’S TRUE FOOD SITUATION Julie lives less than seven miles from the center of San Francisco, in Marin County which prides itself in its local food movement. Grocery stores offering delivery of fresh foods abound, but these programs have not been marketed to her. Even if Julie knew about them, the SNAP EBT system would not allow her order food online.
PERSONAS & CASE STUDY #2
MAIYA ALVARADO PROFILE
Recent, Immigrant
MOTIVATIONS
GENDER
Female
After years of waiting, last year Kaiya received the green light that her immigration papers were going through and she could join her husband in El Paso. After spending years waiting to be reunited with her family, she has finally come the the USA where her grandmother got her a position as a janitor. Kaiya is 3 months pregnant.
AGE LOCATION OCCUPATION
30 South El Psso Janitor: $18,000
GOALS Kaiya is eager to learn english and form new relationships in the USA, so that her baby, expected next year, can have the best shot at making their fullest contribution to the world. FRUSTRATIONS Kaiya finds the US sytems difficult to navigate her limited English. Without a drivers license and without a local market, she struggles to feed herself.
“I miss the food in Oaxaca, and am learning English to get a license and go to the market for ingredients
EL PASO, TX POPULATION
24.7
% ADULTS OVERWEIGHT
60%
DELIVERY SERVICES AAVAILABLE FOR FRESH PRODUCE
Living in a food desert, pregnant, with no access to a vehicle makes it difficult for Kaiya to find the nutritious foods she had where she formerly lived in Oaxaca, Mexico. She feels forced to eat fast food and purchase overpriced non-perishables from the local cornerstore and feels like she has no other options.
GROCERY SERVICES NOT AVAILABLE
563,662
% IN POVERTY
% FOOD UNHEALTHY
SNAP SITUATION
UNKNOWN NONE AVAILABLE
Map taken from the USDA Food Acccess Atlas
MAIYA’S TRUE FOOD SITUATION Maiya is an incredible cook, but she cannot access ingredients to nourish herself and her unborn baby. Maiya is forced to eat at local fast food restaurants and shop at cornerstores, there are no other options available to people in her geography who cannot drive to purchase groceries.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY & PLAN Six low-income, low transportation “food desert” communities will be researched. Two communities will be chosen from each of the following three categories: categories: 1. Grocery delivery services the area, but not available thorugh EBT. Marin City, CA 2. Grocery delivery services the area. Only select Bronx, NY zipcodes within pilot program qualify. (5) 3. Grocery delivery not provided within the geography. El Paso, TX
QUALATATIVE METHODS Through a strategic suite of methods, I will gain understanding about the SNAP EBT pros and cons.
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTERVIEWS
A documentation of the touchpoints individuals have with the organizing and purchasing of food. • Identify research reports, articles, and books and select those most relevant. • Create a literature map - a visual picture that illustrates literature. • Create summaries of the most relevant literature. • Organize all literature thematically or by topic.
Exploring the life of the individual. • 30 minute interviews.
SOCIAL MEDIA INQUIRY
TOURS
Gathering stories from voices that have spoken online.
• Capturing sentiments from SNAP members that are currently unorganized in online forums.
Tours of the community food systems. • Visits to 3 communities.
ETHNOGRAPHY
CASE STUDIES
A profile of each community’s food access. • • • • •
Identify and locate culture-sharing groups for case studies. Select cultural themes, issues to study. Data collection, analysis, and outcomes. Analysis of cultural themes. Produce a cultural portriat of each culture-sharing group.
REFERENCES 1. United States. Department of Agriculture. Access to Affordable and Nutritious Foods: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences. N.p.:United States Department of Agriculture, June 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. < http://libguides.radford.edu/content.php?pid=49115&sid=361286> 2. Snap Food System History http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/snap/SNAP-infographicbanner.pdf 3. Simon, Michele. “Are Corporations Profiting from Hungry Americans?” Eat Drink Politics. June 2012. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. 4. United States. Department of Agriculture. Access to Affordable and Nutritious Foods: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences. N.p.:United States Department of Agriculture, June 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. < http://libguides.radford.edu/content.php?pid=49115&sid=361286> 5. Fresh Direct EBT Pilot Program, https://www.freshdirect.com/browse.jsp?id=about_ebt
SEEKING DIGITAL FOOD JUSTICE IN GEOGRAPHIES WHERE GROCERY DELIVERY SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, SNAP’S EBT TECHNOLOGY IS PERPETUATING FOOD DESERTS Karen Jackson Parsons New School of Design MS Strategic Design & Management December, 2014 jackk453@newschool.edu