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

Katherine Fraser; Rositsa Ilieva; Jacquelyn Sullivan; Julia Greene; Mukta Mohnani; Craig Willingham; Nevin Cohen

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2026.152.010

Authors

Katherine Tomaino Fraser CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0448-7157
Rositsa T. Ilieva CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute
Jacquelyn Sullivan CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7992-0912
Julia Greene CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute
Mukta Mohnani CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute
Craig Willingham CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute
Nevin Cohen CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4961-572X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2026.152.010

Keywords:

food access, mobile food vending, Green Carts, public health, food policy, New York City

Abstract

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.

[1] All currency in this report is in US$.

[2] Electronic benefits transfer (EBT) is the electronic system used to accept SNAP payments.