DA BUX
The Food Basket administers DA BUX in partnership with the Hawai‘i Good Food Alliance.
Established in 2019, DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks (also known as “DA BUX”) partners with food retailers across the state to make Hawai‘i grown fruits and vegetables more affordable for low-income recipients of federal food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
When SNAP shoppers use their SNAP food dollars to purchase qualifying local produce at participating DA BUX food retailers, they receive a 50% discount on those items. As the DA BUX program administrator, The Food Basket reimburses participating food retailers for the local produce discounts issued.
DA BUX in Action
GROW: Helps Farmers
1. Expands customer base
2. Increases sales and farm profits
3. Stimulates farm expansion in both acreage and crop diversity
4. Offers new marketing opportunities that complement existing wholesale systems
5. Provides good gateway markets for beginning farmers
SHARE: Helps Our Local Economy
1. Keeps food dollars in the local economy
2. Builds community food self-reliance
3. Draws additional federal funds into the state as a match
4. Creates economic opportunity in high-need communities
5. Shifts public policy so future federal nutrition assistance programs address health, hunger, nutrition and support a sustainable food system
EAT: Helps Families
1. Doubles purchasing power of low-income households
2. Improves access to affordable and healthy food
3. Reduces rural food deserts
4. Creates jobs and economic opportunity
5. Reduces diet-related health problems and lowers healthcare costs
Support Da Bux
Contribute to making Hawaiʻi grown fruits and vegetables more affordable for SNAP-EBT cardholders.
Learn More
Contact Chelsea Takahashi, Director of Healthy Food Access Initiatives, to learn more.