SNAP-ing to Attention: Future Research on Food Assistance Programs

AAEA Member research published in AEPP

Did you know more than 42 million persons were food insecure in 2015? Two AAEA members published an article in the Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy (AEPP) that examines the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs to suggest future research directions. Poverty isn’t the only reason for the need to the programs but also low assets, low human capital, low physical and mental functioning, among others.

In “Food Insecurity Research in the United States: Where We Have Been and Where We Need to Go,” Craig Gundersen, Managing Editor of AEPP and professor at the University of Illinois, and James Ziliak  from the University of Kentucky review current research on food assistance programs and sketch out several new research areas that are worth pursuing.

 “Food insecurity has become a leading health care issue in the United States.  In order to address this epidemic, we need to use research to identify effective paths to reducing food insecurity” Gundersen said. “Critical to this is to look at ways that the most critical component of the safety net against SNAP can be made even more effective.”

If you are interested in setting up an interview with Craig Gundersen, please contact Allison Scheetz in the AAEA Business Office.

ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes two journals, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices. To learn more, visit www.aaea.org.

Contact: Allison Scheetz
Senior Communications Manager
(414) 918-3190
Email: ascheetz@aaea.org