Sustaining mobile produce vending in NYC: Evaluating the future of Green Carts

Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is essential for preventing diet-related chronic dis­eases, yet many low-income residents have inade­quate diets because their communities face persis­tent barriers to supplying healthy food. In New York City (NYC), the Green Carts program is a mobile produce vending initiative to improve fresh food access in underserved neighborhoods while supporting immigrant entrepreneurship. This paper presents the findings of a multi-methods evaluation of the Green Carts program and points to a funda­mental tension between the program’s public health goals and vendors’ financial viability. We 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,[1] substantially below NYC’s living wage. Low elec­tronic benefit transfer (EBT)[2] acceptance limited accessibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, and more than half of NYC’s public housing developments, home to more than 400,000 low income residents, lack con­venient access to Green Carts. Mobile produce vending can meaningfully address urban food ineq­uities, but current economic constraints limit the program’s sustainability and impact. We suggest several improvements to help realize its potential, including financial support for vendors, expanded EBT access, and location incentives aligned with equity goals. This program evaluation provides practical insights for other cities seeking to imple­ment mobile vending models to improve public health and provide economic opportunities for local vendors.