Behavior change and food stamps

Can - or should - the USDA try to change behavior and the dietary choices of food stamp recipients?

The issue is timely. The ERS has a new study at this link that looks at the issue. The study is called, Could Behavioral Economics Help Improve Diet Quality for Nutrition Assistance Program Participants?

Also, Clarence Carter, deputy administrator of the food stamp program for the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, gave a presentation before the fruit and vegetable industry advisory committee here in Washington about the $30 billion federal entitlement program. He noted about 60% of income eligible consumers participate.

As an aside, Carter observed the publicity about the "food stamp challenge, " where several Congress members tried to survive on the average benefit of $21 per week. Carter dismissed the publicity stunt, noting that the purpose of the food stamp program is to provide a supplement to food budgets, not be the sole source.
Carter resisted the idea that food stamp recepients eat worse than the general population. Obesity is a national problem, and it is visited on participants of the food stamp program as well as everyone else.

However, he noted that he expects some proposals in the 2007 farm bill may try to incentify food stamp purchases of fruits and vegetables.
Interestingly, Carter said that the electronic benefit distribution of food stamps allows tracking of what people spend on various food items. "I do believe we have the ability to analyze the purchases (of food stamps) compared to dietary guidelines, and that's something we may be able to get to as we move forward."

TK: Carter said that any attempt to allocate food stamp benefits based on food groups could cause a firefight that could engulf the program. It is clear it won't be easy to incentify food stamps to boost fruit and vegetable consumption. However, Carter's indication that data is available to analyze purchasing patterns of food stamp participants could be the first step in justifying the need for greater incentives for fruit and vegetable consumption in the food stamp program.