They call it the ‘triple win’ – it’s good for peoples’ health, for farmers, and for community economies. It is how Boulder, Colorado, uses the money it earns by taxing soda drinks locally to help people buy healthy food, like fruits and vegetables.

People tell researchers that they think it’s really cool that the sugar that caused their diabetes is now funding their fruits and vegetables. “They get a real kick out of knowing it’s funded by sugary drink taxes because, they say, ‘Wow, so you’re turning the sugar that caused my diabetes into fruits and vegetables for me. That is really cool.’ “

It’s a result of the Fruit and Veg program started by the Boulder County Public Health Department in 2019, after Boulder approved taxing sugary drinks locally. The department had noticed that many people were missing out on programs like SNAP which help people with federal food benefits get extra fresh produce.