One of the best public-private partnerships has been to allow people to use EBT cards at farmers markets. Tackles obesity, helps farmers, good for food stamp users. But a USDA policy change is going to mean that this will no longer be possible for many. washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food…
This public-private partnership drew in large non-profit and public dollars to subsidize both the small farmers and SNAP beneficiaries. That will also be hurt. 2/ 
So why is this popular, bi-partisan policy being hurt. Poor management by USDA. In short, the vendor to provide software to swipe the cards is being removed, replaced by a new vendor with no experience in this area & a total of one employee. 🤔 3/ modernfarmer.com/2018/07/tens-o…
The new vendor has no plan to re-estabish the process of allowing SNAP recipients. Neither the USDA or vendor are not answering questions as to what happens next. 4/
Expanding the use of EBT cards helped to reduce the stigma associated with SNAP. Once SNAP recipients go to a farmers market and are told their cards are not good there, how likely is it that they will return, even if the system is re-established. 5/
Public management research (eg @BrintMilward) shows that public-private networks like those used to expand SNAP at farmers mkts work best if they are stable. Thoughtless contracting that introduces new players who can't perform basic tasks is a sure way to hurt those networks 6/
