Nutrition is our Agendanutrition.tufts.edu

The Scope of Food Insecurity in the U.S.:A Review Federal Nutrition Programs

Northeastern University, January 24, 2017Parke Wilde, Friedman School, Tufts University

Nutrition is our Agendanutrition.tufts.edu

Outline1. What are “hunger” and “food insecurity”?2. What federal programs address hunger?3. Can federal programs simultaneously

promote food security and dietary quality?4. Where do things stand today?

Source: New Deal Network, from WPA (undated, 1930s).

Source: The Robert F. Kennedy Performance Project

Source: CBS, “Waiting in the Food Line,” 2003.

Nutrition is our Agendanutrition.tufts.edu

Outline1. What are “hunger” and “food insecurity”?2. What federal programs address hunger?3. Can federal programs simultaneously

promote food security and dietary quality?4. Where do things stand today?

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

a.k.a. Food Stamp Program

History• First FSP: May 16, 1939 – Spring 1943• Pilot FSP: May 29, 1961 – 1964 • The Food Stamp Act of 1964• The Food Stamp Act of 1977• The Personal Responsibility and Work

Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)

• The Farm Bill of 2002 and 2008• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of

2009 (Stimulus)• Farm Bill 2014

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Legislation/about.htm

.

Benefit Determination

Net income is gross income minus deductions-- Standard deduction-- Earned income deduction-- Housing deduction-- Other deductions

Benefits B = Max – (0.3 * Net Income)

SNAP Benefits as a Function of IncomeHousehold Size = 4

  

Income-to-poverty ratio

  

SNAP

(a)Median

Spending-to-TFP ratio

(b)Food

insecure (%)

<1.3 Participant .94 51.6

Nonparticipant .94 27.7

Source: Coleman-Jensen et al., 2011.

(a) Food spending relative to the Thrifty Food Plan budget and (b) prevalence of

household food insecurity, 2010.

Nutrition is our Agendanutrition.tufts.edu

Outline1. What are “hunger” and “food insecurity”?2. What federal programs address hunger?3. Can federal programs simultaneously

promote food security and dietary quality?4. Where do things stand today?

Source: Conrad, Rehm, Wilde, Mozaffarian. AJPH. 2017.

Hazard Ratio for Cardiometabolic Disease Mortality, by SNAP Participation Status

Healthy Incentives Pilot

Abt Associates | pg 20

Impacts on TFV

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

Series1

Cup-

Equi

vale

nts

} Impact = 0.24*** cup-equivalents per day; 26% difference

1.15 cup-equivalentsper day

0.91 cup-equivalentsper day

*p<0.10; **p<0.05; ***p<0.01

Source: USDA (2016).

Nutrition is our Agendanutrition.tufts.edu

Outline1. What are “hunger” and “food insecurity”?2. What federal programs address hunger?3. Can federal programs simultaneously

promote food security and dietary quality?4. Where do things stand today?

http://ridge.nutrition.tufts.edu/

Concept paper submissions: March 13, 2017