Do SNAP Recipients Get the Best Prices?

Abstract

We developed an expensiveness index and used the Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey data set to examine empirically whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants pay higher prices compared with nonqualifying and qualifying, but nonparticipating, households. Purchasers' ability to minimize food expenditures has significant effects on the program's effectiveness and on participants' food security. Using ordinary least squares and two techniques that control for the endogeneity of SNAP participation, we found no significant effect of SNAP participation on food prices. Moreover, we found that SNAP participants pay, on average, lower prices than do nonparticipants. We conclude by providing suggestions for policy improvements and implications for future research.

Description

© 2019 The Author(s). cc-by-nc-nd

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Keywords

consumer behavior, food purchasing decisions, FoodAPS, SNAP

Citation

March, R.J., Carpio, C.E., Boonsaeng, T., & Lyford, C.P.. 2020. Do SNAP Recipients Get the Best Prices?. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 52(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/aae.2019.37

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