Topic: Obesity, Nutrition/Diet
Target Population: Adults, Families
Sector: Community-Based
This program is for adults and families.
Good Food Box, a community-based program, is designed to increase food security and support local food systems by purchasing fruits and vegetables from local farmers and coordinating a centralized means of selling and distributing the produce to community members.
No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.
Good Food Box is a food distribution program that helps to make local produce more affordable and accessible to community members. Program organizers purchase in-season fruits and vegetables from local farms and supplement this produce with fruits and vegetables that are not seasonally or regionally available, in addition to items such as local meat, coffee, honey, and bread. Good Food Boxes are affordable because having a centralized distributor creates purchasing power, and the financial savings result from purchasing food in bulk. Good Food Boxes are also affordable because the program uses volunteers.
Program participants sign up and order their box by phone, online, or in person at pick-up locations 1 week prior to the pick-up date. Program organizers collect orders and payments, order and receive produce, and coordinate volunteers to pack the Good Food Boxes. The boxes are transported to neighborhood drop-off points, and each drop-off point is managed by a volunteer drop-off coordinator. Participants can also have their boxes delivered to their home for an additional fee. Participants can choose from several different boxes.
In addition, a newsletter, which includes recipes; farmer profiles; and educational information about nutrition, food security, and similar topics, accompanies Good Food Boxes.
A program manual is available to help individuals start and maintain this program.
The Good Food Box program began in 1994 in Toronto, Canada. Currently, the Good Food Box program is available throughout Canada. Over 274,000 people were reached and more than 3,583,900 pounds of produce were distributed in 2021.
Training is not necessary or available. Food Share has Community Food Animators who can provide support regarding community outreach, materials needed, and time commitment to those interested in starting a new Good Food Box program in their community. Program organizers should read the Good Food Box manual, which contains all of the information necessary to establish a Good Food Box program. The manual can be accessed here https://foodshare.net/resource/good-food-box-guide/
Considerations for implementing this program include securing program organizers; recruiting motivated volunteers; forging connections with the local food system; identifying a distribution hub location, neighborhood drop-off locations, or individuals to deliver the boxes to participants' homes; advertising the program to local community members, especially those with low income; becoming aware of and meeting the needs of all community members (e.g., making accessible payment schedules, finding accessible drop-off locations); ensuring transportation for food distribution; and understanding this program will need funding or sponsorship.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing Good Food Box, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Managing the program could be a full-time position for one or more individuals. Volunteers will also spend several hours each week preparing and distributing Good Food Boxes. Boxes are delivered or available for pick up weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Implementation costs could be significant, so funding or sponsorship would be required to launch the program in a new community. All materials needed to apply for a new Good Food Box drop off location and get started can be found on the program website listed in the Source section.
To move the Good Food Box program to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact FoodShare by mail 120 Industry Street - Unit C, Toronto, ON M6M 4L8, phone 1-416-363-6441, fax 1-647-799-0305, email info@foodshare.net, or visit https://foodshare.net/contact/
Bell, E. R., Rose, M., Roll, C., & Dupont, S. (2014). Contribution to addressing food accessibility in the elderly. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice & Research, 75(4), 191-194. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2014-019
Ciccarelli, L. A. (1997). Reducing food insecurity in Kingtson: An evaluation of the Good Food Box program. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation.)
Johnston, J., & Baker, L. (2005). Eating outside the box: Foodshare’s good food box and the challenge of scale. Agriculture & Human Values, 22(3), 313-325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-005-6048-y
Loopstra, R., & Tarasuck, V. (2013). Perspectives on community gardens, community kitchens, and the good food box programs in a community- based sample of low-income families. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 104(1), e55-e59. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405655
