Farmers Post, an initiative led by World Wildlife Fund in partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, is making strides toward the goal of connecting farms to consumers with same-day or next-day deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables. A new WWF Markets Institute report outlines progress on the initiative to date, including learnings from two successful and ongoing pilot projects in Connecticut and Virginia.
Up to 40% of fresh produce in the U.S. is lost or wasted, while only one in 10 adults consume the recommended daily serving of vegetables. Farmers are also facing increasing economic challenges, currently earning less than eight cents per every dollar spent on produce at the grocery store. First conceived by WWF in 2020, the Farmers Post program would allow consumers to visit a centralized website, enter their address and receive fresh produce deliveries, straight to their door from local farms.
"There's a massive disconnect where people want and need high-quality produce and can't get it, while farmers have surplus produce they can't sell," said Julia Kurnik, senior director of innovation start-ups with WWF's Markets Institute. "We need a bridge, and the U.S. Postal Service is the perfect candidate to build it. It's a win for consumer health, a win for struggling farmers, a win for the USPS, and a win for the planet."
The report includes results from a survey of more than 1,000 adults gauging interest in the Farmers Post program. Eighty-three percent of respondents said they are somewhat, fairly, or very likely to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables through Farmers Post. Of those who report living in a food desert, 52% say they are very likely to participate. And 66% of all respondents expect the quality of the produce to be somewhat or a lot better than what they currently purchase.
The initial testing phase of Farmers Post, currently available in Connecticut and some parts of New York and Virginia, will continue to expand this year. U.S. residents can visit Healthy PlanEat to express interest in Farmers Post and be notified when the program is available in their area.
