Mail-Delivered Produce Can Help Both People and Nature

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our eating and shopping habits.

On one side, restaurants, hotels, and schools had to close or limit service, and on the other, many people returned to home-cooking, online grocery shopping, and food delivery.

In a new analysis, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) looks at how the USPS could close the gap between farmers and food shoppers by delivering fresh fruit and vegetables along with your mail.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, a proposed program called Farmers Post could easily reach most Americans, as USPS already delivers mail and packages six days a week.

Farmers could offer boxes of their surplus produce or regular harvest directly to consumers within a few postal codes for a relatively low cost. Postal carriers would pick up and deliver locally along their established routes, without adding more transportation emissions from delivery vehicles.

This model would benefit both consumers who would receive affordable fresh produce without leaving their homes, and farmers who would reduce food loss and wasted resources.

Farmers Post could also be a game-changer for senior citizens, people with disabilities, or those living in “food deserts,” areas that have limited access to grocery stores with healthy food options.