Can Food Stamps Do More to Improve Food Choices? An Economic Perspective

Joanne Guthrie (), Margaret Andrews, Elizabeth Frazao, Ephraim Leibtag, Biing-Hwan Lin, Lisa Mancino (), Mark Nord, Mark A. Prell, David M. Smallwood, Jayachandran N. Variyam and Michele Ver Ploeg ()

No 59417, Economic Information Bulletin from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: Food stamp recipients, like other Americans, struggle with nutrition problems associated with choice of foods, as well as amounts. This series of Economic Information Bulletins compiles evidence to help answer the question of whether the Food Stamp Program can do more to improve the food choices of participants. It examines the role of affordability and price of healthful foods in influencing food choices and the likely success of any policy targeted at changing food choices through food stamp bonuses or restrictions. It also examines other approaches to changing food choices, including nutrition education and potential strategies drawn from behavioral economics literature. Meaningful improvements in the diets of food stamp recipients will likely depend on a combination of many tactics. Measuring the effect of any policy change on food choices and health outcomes remains a challenge.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Consumer/Household Economics; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Institutional and Behavioral Economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 48
Date: 2007-09
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

Downloads: (external link)
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/59417/files/EIB29_AWArticle.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uersib:59417

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.59417

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Economic Information Bulletin from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by AgEcon Search ().