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ERS addresses research issues associated with the Nation’s food assistance and nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the child nutrition programs. FANRP’s research is designed to meet critical needs of USDA, Congress, program managers and participants, the research community, and the public at large.
Examples of Research on Program Outcomes:
- In the area of health and nutrition, research has examined the effects of food assistance programs on nutrition intakes, obesity, food consumption, and more. A recent research article focused on the effect of the SNAP program on obesity and body weight. See “Food Stamps and Obesity: What We Know and What It Means.”
- Another example of nutrition-related outcome research that was funded by ERS as part of FANRP looks at the effect of the National School Lunch Program on nutrient consumption by middle school students in three Houston area schools in 2001-02. See “Middle School Student Lunch Consumption: Impact of National School Lunch Program Meal and Competitive Foods.”
- In addition to the health and nutrition outcomes, ERS assesses the effects of the programs on reducing food insecurity and food insufficiency. Because food assistance recipients are highly likely to be food insecure to begin with, this makes it hard to separate the effect of a program. A recent report includes some analysis of the effect of food assistance programs on food insecurity.
- Research on the effects of program participation on other outcomes has included examinations of effects on child poverty reduction, children’s health and education outcomes, food prices (for example, infant formula prices), income and consumption stability, the self-sufficiency of welfare leavers, and other measures of well-being. Additionally, ERS research has examined the effects of food assistance programs on the health of the agricultural economy.
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