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The WIC Fruit and Vegetable Cash Voucher: Does Regional Price Variation Affect Buying Power?

Author

Listed:
  • Leibtag, Ephraim
  • Kumcu, Aylin

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides supplemental foods to low-income women, infants, and children at nutritional risk. Since October 2009, WIC packages have included a fi xed-value voucher for purchasing fruits and vegetables. Although this should help increase fruit and vegetable consumption for all WIC participants, regional price variation could lead to different buying power—and nutritional benefi ts—across the country. Using 2004-06 Nielsen Homescan data, the authors examine the prices of fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, and canned) in 26 metropolitan market areas to determine how price variations affect the voucher’s purchasing power. The authors fi nd that the 20 most commonly purchased fruits and vegetables cost 30-70 percent more in the highest priced market areas than in the lowest, implying that WIC participants in more expensive areas might be able to purchase fewer fruits and vegetables than those living where these items are cheaper. The lowest priced market for fruits and vegetables was the Nashville, Birmingham, Memphis, and Louisville area, while the highest was San Francisco.

Suggested Citation

  • Leibtag, Ephraim & Kumcu, Aylin, 2011. "The WIC Fruit and Vegetable Cash Voucher: Does Regional Price Variation Affect Buying Power?," Economic Information Bulletin 291947, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uersib:291947
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.291947
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Christensen, Garret & Bronchetti, Erin Todd, 2020. "Local food prices and the purchasing power of SNAP benefits," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Volpe, Richard & Okrent, Abigail, 2012. "Assessing the Healthfulness of Consumers' Grocery Purchases," Economic Information Bulletin 262129, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Oliveira, Victor & Frazao, Elizabeth, 2015. "The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2015 Edition," Economic Information Bulletin 197543, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Catherine E. Martinez & Lorrene D. Ritchie & Danielle L. Lee & Marisa M. Tsai & Christopher E. Anderson & Shannon E. Whaley, 2022. "California WIC Participants Report Favorable Impacts of the COVID-Related Increase to the WIC Cash Value Benefit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-15, August.
    5. repec:max:cprpbr:50 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Hodges, Leslie & Toossi, Saied & Todd, Jessica E. & Ryan-Claytor, Cayley, 2024. "The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2024 Edition," Economic Information Bulletin 341637, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    7. McLaughlin, Patrick W. & Gleason, Stacy & Wilkin, Margaret, 2018. "Price Variability Across Food Product and Vendor Type in Food Benefit Redemptions Under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)," Economic Research Report 276225, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

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