Expanding Public and Private Partnerships to Improve Food Access for Families Enrolled in Supplemental Nutrition Programs

Abstract

Food insecurity in the United States is a public health crisis and particularly impacts individuals in rural areas.1 Efforts to improve food access, including pilot programs to increase online ordering, have reduced food insecurity and improved diet quality for participants enrolled in supplemental nutrition programs.3,4 We discuss the nutritional and economic benefits of public and private partnerships that enhance the supplemental nutrition programs of the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (eg, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and propose the expansion of technology and transportation resources through public and private partnerships to better address rural food insecurity.