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Our Impact

Our team conducts research and evaluation measuring the impact of the Harvest Share program on diet and social outcomes. Read more about our research findings and publications below.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

Covid Closures – The NYU Covid Closures (CoClo) Study aimed to understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the closures of fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) vendors, restaurants, and grocery stores in NYC.

• 2020-2021 findings: 
  English data brief: Changes to the Food Retail Environment due to COVID-19: A Snapshot of the NYC Experience, May to July 2020

  The NYU Covid Closures (CoClo) Study aimed to understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the closures of food retail stores, restaurants, and produce vendors in six NYC neighborhoods. After selection of 6 lower- and higher-resourced neighborhoods based on characteristics reported in the NYC Neighborhood Health Atlas, restaurants and food retail stores for each neighborhood were ascertained  by the most up-to-date sources of information. To assess COVID-19 closures for restaurants, food retails stores, and produce vendors, the study team followed a rigorous procedure of checks: internet, call, and in-person. This study found that lower-resourced neighborhoods had fewer food outlets, restaurants are more likely to close than food retail stores, and that there were higher proportions of COVID-19 food outlet closures in Chinese neighborhoods compared to other neighborhoods. In conclusion, food outlets in ethnically Chinese neighborhoods have faced a disproportionate impact during COVID-19. Restaurants and produce vendors were particularly socioeconomically impacted.

• 2023 updated findings:
  Mapping the rebound of the NYC Fresh Fruit and Vegetable environment – The NYU Covid Closures Study (2019-2023)
  Building on the initial findings outlined above, additional data collection was conducted in 2021 and 2023 to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic on fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) vendors particularly, and whether the FFV retail environment has started to bounce back since the onset of the pandemic. 8 neighborhoods were selected across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx for this study, reflecting approximately 1.2 million people and 52 square kilometers and comprising communities with large high-income, low-income, and Chinese populations: Chinatown, East Harlem, Upper East Side, Park Slope, Sunset Park, Brownsville, Flushing, and South Bronx. This study found that vendors starting to gradually open up again, Chinese neighborhoods (Chinatown, Sunset Park, Flushing) are key hotspots for FFV vendors, and new FFV vendors were opened in 2023.

PUBLICATIONS

• Lu I, Suss R, Lanza DV, Cohen S, Yusuf Y, Yi SS. A qualitative study to inform the development of a subsidized community-supported agriculture program for Chinese Americans in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Prev Med Rep. 2023;36:102480. Published 2023 Oct 14. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102480
• Chebli P, Đoàn LN, Thompson RL, Chin M, Sabounchi N, Foster V, Huang TTK, Trinh-Shevrin C, Kwon SC, Yi SS. Identifying opportunities for collective action around community nutrition programming through participatory systems science. Cancer Causes Control. 2023;34(12):1043-1058. doi:10.1007/s10552-023-01751-6
• Ali SH, Lin NF, Yi SS. Challenging Dietary Research Measures, Concepts, and Definitions to Promote Greater Inclusivity of Immigrant Experiences: Considerations and Practical Recommendations. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(11):1533-1540. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.06.280
• Park JK, Yi SS. Transportation and language access as crucial pillars for an immigrant-inclusive 21st-century food security program. Public Health Nutr. 2023;26(9):1925-1929. doi:10.1017/S1368980023000575