Impact of Farm to School Programs on Students’ Consumption of Healthful Foods: An Empirical Analysis in Georgia

Johnson, Simone; Berning, Joshua P.; Colson, Gregory J.; Smith, Travis A.

Impact of Farm to School Programs on Students’ Consumption of Healthful Foods: An Empirical Analysis in Georgia

Autores

Descripción

Given the recent concerns over childhood obesity and the changes to the requirements set forth by the National School Lunch Program, Farm to School Programs (FTSPs) have become a popular way for schools to achieve the standards. This study examines FTSPs in Georgia, looking at panel data from 2008 through 2012 for each school district. We use Probit models to determine the characteristics of districts choosing to adopt these programs. We then use panel regression to examine the impact FTSPs have on student responses to the Georgia Student Health Survey to determine the effects of FTSPs on student consumption of healthful foods and their perception of the foods served in their schools. We find districts with a higher population and agricultural sales, and lower median incomes are more likely to adopt FTSPs. We also find FTSPs have no statistically significant impact on student consumption of healthful foods.