Market Match is a triple-win: for low-income shoppers, small and mid-sized farmers, and California’s rural communities. Ecology Center worked with the University of Southern California to conduct an evaluation of the impact of the FINI Grant on its Market Match program between 2015-2017. Learn more about how Market Match benefits shoppers, farmers, farmers’ markets, and surrounding communities.
LOW-INCOME SHOPPERS
SMALL & MID-SIZED FARMS
CALIFORNIA RURAL COMMUNITIES
POLICY EFFORTS
In 2015, the Ecology Center, the California Market Match Consortium (CMMC), Roots of Change, and other statewide partners were successful in advocating for the passage of CA Assembly Bill 1321 (Asm. Ting), a bill that created a state matching grant program that could capture Federal FINI funds, build the State Farm-to-Fork office, and stimulate California’s small farming communities. In June of 2016, with the leadership of Asm. Phil Ting and others, the state approved $5 million in state funds to fund this state grant program, and expand on incentive programs like Market Match.
In 2017, the California Department of Food and Agriculture was awarded a $3.9 million FINI grant- the largest of its kind in the nation.
In 2019, the California Department of Food and Agriculture received a $7.1 million grant from the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP – formerly FINI). Combined with matching state funds, this funding will allow Market Match to expand to additional high need areas throughout the state.
Ecology Center joined the National Nutrition Incentive Hub, as a core partner, a Center established by the 2018 Farm Bill to provide training, technical assistance, reporting and evaluation support to GusNIP grantees.
REPORTS, STUDIES, OTHER RESOURCES
Market Match Statewide Impact Report (2020-2022)
Market Match Statewide Impact Report (2020-2021)
The California Nutrition Incentive Program: Participants’ Perceptions and Associations with Produce Purchases, Consumption, and Food Security
Hewawitharana, S.C.; Webb, K.L.; Strochlic, R.; Gosliner, W. Comparison of Fruit and Vegetable Prices between Farmers’ Markets and Supermarkets: Implications for Fruit
and Vegetable Incentive Programs for Food Assistance Program Participants. Nutrients 2022, 14, 1842. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091842. Received: 31 March 2022 Accepted: 25 April 2022 Published: 28 April 2022
Economic Contributions of Healthy Food Incentives (2021) Report and Policy Brief featuring economic analysis by Colorado State University
Market Match Impact Report (2020)
Market Match Impact Report (2018) featuring evaluation conducted by University of Southern California researchers
Market Match CA FINI Preliminary Results (2016)
Technology for Farmers’ Market Incentive Delivery in California (2015) Code For America Report for the Ecology Center
Market Match Case Statement
SNAP Healthy Food Incentives Cluster Evaluation (2012-2013) by Evaluation Firm Community Science
SNAP Healthy Food Incentives Cluster Evaluation (2011) by Evaluation Firm Community Science