Walmart, in its statement, echoed the sentiment. With SNAP scaling up options nationwide, WIC families cannot and should not have to wait.' He added: ' Pregnant women, new parents, parents with multiple children, and caretakers should be able to use commercial platforms that are accessible to the general shopping public to access healthy WIC foods. 'It is time for USDA to take decisive action to update program rules and unleash new innovations that will provide equitable options for WIC shoppers.' Douglas Greenaway, president and CEO of the National WIC Association, in a statement issued in conjunction with the task force's report. ' The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the simple truth that WIC families are required to navigate additional barriers to access nutritious foods,' said Rev. FMI –the Food Industry Association participated in the task force and urged the USDA and Congress 'to prioritize making improvements to the WIC program that modernize and streamline the transaction process to ensure WIC beneficiaries have additional options to secure healthy, affordable foods for their families,' FMI Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher stated in a news release. Last month, a WIC Task Force on Supplemental Foods Delivery, comprising retailers, manufacturers, tech companies, WIC participants and WIC program state and local representatives, submitted a report to the USDA with recommendations for modernizing WIC benefits redemption.

'Walmart has always believed that access to convenience and to fresh, quality groceries should be available to everyone, regardless of payment method.' ' We’re honored to participate in the USDA and Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition’s WIC online pilot program,' Walmart said in a statement. Separately, in Iowa, Hy-Vee will trial online redemption of WIC benefits at one store in Des Moines, with plans to expand the offering to additional locations in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska after that, a news release from the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition (GSCN) noted. When the pilot launches in 2022, a total of 85 Walmart stores in Massachusetts and Washington State will let participants in the government's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) special supplemental nutrition program order and pay for eligible items online using their electronic benefits card, according to a Walmart news release. Walmart and Hy-Vee will begin accepting WIC benefits online in select states as part of a pilot program with the USDA and the Omaha, Neb.-based Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition.

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