A Continuing Examination of Food Purchasing through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) : A Case Study of Grocery Stores and Farmers’ Markets with an Emphasis on Fruits and Vegetables II

Color poster with text, images, charts, photographs, and graphs.Research suggests that food insecurity is a significant issue facing many American families with nearly one in five children living in a food insecure household. Many Americans also suffer from poor nutrition and specifically fall short of eating the recommended number of fruits and vegetables (FV). Additionally, as a country we are still facing high rates of obesity especially for children with both poor nutrition and obesity disproportionately affecting low-income households. There is also evidence that participants in government assistance programs designed to provide food assistance such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) tend to purchase fewer healthy foods including FV compared to the overall population. One way to address this issue is to connect these families to farmers’ markets in their area and encourage healthier shopping and eating behaviors. The Eau Claire Farmers’ Market –Market Match Program (EC FM MMP) doubles SNAP benefits up to $10/week at the EC FM to provide an incentive for SNAP households to shop at the market. Similarly, the WIC FV Farmers’ Market Program (WIC FV FMP) is designed to help improve access to FV for qualifying households during the summer. This study reports on 2014-19 administrative data and 2019 survey data from for the EC FM MMP as well as 2019 administrative data for the WIC FV FMP in the state of Wisconsin. We also have data for a FV FM program helping low-income senior citizens access FV at FM and will present briefly on these data. Our complete work is presented over two postersUniversity of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

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Color poster with text, images, charts, photographs, and graphs.Although fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption lowers risks for many chronic diseases, children/adults tend under-consume FV. Research suggests that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households purchase fewer healthy foods and more unhealthy foods compared to non-SNAP households. Thus, increasing purchases of healthy foods, especially FV, among SNAP households has become an important focus among practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. This study reports on a program that doubles SNAP benefits used at the farmers market up to $10/week. Using data collected from the farmers market we characterize program usage from 2014-18. We also report on survey results highlighting benefits of the program reported by SNAP households. Our results show that the market match program has significantly increased the number of SNAP shoppers using the farmers market and has also increased the frequency of trips to the farmers market. Survey responses show that significant percentages of SNAP farmers market shoppers report purchasing/eating more FV and say that it helps increase their budget. These results suggest that SNAP families are gaining access to healthier food 110 Poster Presentations: Social Sciences through the market match program. However, the use of SNAP benefits at the farmers market in 2018 represented less than 10% of SNAP households suggesting additional promotions are needed to increase usage which will require additional resources. This research has policy relevance as it helps us understand the impacts of a program designed to improve access to healthy foods for low income families.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

SNAP, WIC, Low-Income Families, Fruits & Vegetables and Food Security : An Investigation of Food Purchasing Behaviors III

Color poster with text, images, charts, photographs, and graphs.The Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) was established to increase access to healthy foods for low income women with children through benefits provided for targeted healthy foods. The WIC food package was revised to include fruits and vegetables (FV) in 2009 to better align with dietary guidelines. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest support program designed to increase access to food for low-income households. In contrast to WIC, SNAP benefits are not restricted to targeted healthy foods. This study reports on Wisconsin data from 2016 and 2017 for the rates at which WIC food benefits are utilized by participating households across each different targeted food category. Specific attention is paid to the rate of usage for FV benefits compared to other food items. Additional comparisons are made for the usage of SNAP benefits by participating households. Preliminary results suggest that WIC benefits are less fully utilized than SNAP benefits. That said, among WIC food benefits, FV benefits are used more than other some other food items. We are just beginning this work and thus we cannot give more specific details at this time. This research is relevant from a policy perspective as it helps us understand the impacts of a WIC program change to increase access to FV for low income families. It is also relevant to the policy discussion regarding restricting SNAP benefits to targeted healthy foods.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program