In an effort to promote better access to affordable food and encourage healthier eating choices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a program to allow those using food stamps to purchase groceries online from retailers such as Amazon and FreshDirect. The effort is part of a nationwide pilot program tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known by its acronym, SNAP.

“Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP.”

Pilot states include Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Nationwide retailers such as Amazon, FreshDirect, Safeway, and ShopRite will participate.

In New York, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney led the effort to launch the pilot program. Diaz had proposed it back in February 2016, and in August, penned a letter to Secretary Vilsack to encourage his department to include New York in the program’s launch. During the pilot, Amazon and FreshDirect will provide service to New York.

“New York State has always led the way when it comes to innovation in government, and this pilot program will put our state at the intersection of health, technology, and business,” Diaz said in a statement. “Allowing consumers to use their SNAP benefits in the same way you would also use a credit or debit card to purchase groceries will lead to lower prices and greater options for consumers in every corner of this city and state.”

The program is slated to begin this summer, and according to the USDA, the pilot will test both online ordering and payment in order to ensure peoples’ benefits are thoroughly protected. “Eventually, our goal is for this to be a national option for SNAP participants, once the pilot phase is complete and USDA can incorporate lessons learned into program rules,” the department wrote in a statement.