In Mykerezi and Mill’s article “The Impact of food Stamp Program Participation” they discuss how participating in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) effects the stability of food in households. The Food Stamp Program’s main aspiration is to increase the food stability in homes and to boost diets. Another underlying reason to have a better understanding of the elements that correspond to Food Insecurity (FI) and how they interact with food assistance is to be able to have a better working knowledge base when creating food assistance policies that will actually lower the level of FI.
Their primary figures were derived from the 1999 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID); which is a, “nationally representative panel data sample of the U.S. individuals and the households in which they reside.” (Mykerezi, Mills 1379-1391) The data represented by Mykerezi and Mills was used in two different strategies. The first one, used models that are supported by the abundance and lack of Food Stamp benefits in a one year measurement. The second looks at the effects of food insecurity originating from outside losses of Food Stamp Program Benefits that are caused by government policies.
How these strategies were derived was by finding a relevant sample group that was compared to a control group that was not participating in the FSP. Then they measured Food Insecurity (FI) by the Core Food Security Model that is comprised of 10 questions that are geared to create many continuous and discrete measures of food security. The two identified in this study are the raw score and scale score. Then the different variables are taken to figure out the mean and standard deviation of income to poverty level ratios at different variances. Then their estimations are plugged into a complex function to find a positive or negative food security score. Then their simulations are compared to the discoveries of other similar published works.
Out of these statistics Mykerezi and Mills found that participating in the Food Stamp Program has a positive effect of lowering Food Insecurity by 19 % of the mean score in insecure households. Also, if there were a reduction in the FI scale score when pertaining to the loss of benefits due to government policies 28% of households that receive benefits would be reclassified as a secure home. If all the sample households would have participated in the FSP it would have been a 45% reduction in insecurity. Based on the positive evidence, collected by Mykerezi and Mills, the use of their strategy approaches on the impact of the Food Stamp Program had a positive and significant impact on Food Security, so it is likely that the enhancement to the program will decrease Food Insecurity.
Mykerezi, Mills, Elton, Bradford. "The Imapct of Food Stamp Program Participation on Household food Insecurity." American Journal of Agriculture. 92.5 (2010): 1379-1391. Print.
Jeanette
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you wrote on this article. It is a extremely important topic especially since all the controversy about food stamp participants being drug tested.I believe we need the food stamp program and I can see how the authors would like to see a reduction in food insecurity as so would I. The program was design to help those of lower social economic status to get assistance with nutrition.I think the program can be very beneficial to families in need.Sometimes things happen in life, circumstances that are out of are control(i.e all the recent layoffs due to the recession). With that said I have to argue that it should only be for a certain time frame. If people can receive something for free where is the initiative to want to do better.Unfortunately, this can be the mind set of some of the participants in the program.
I have to say the regulations they put on these programs I believe are sufficient.Recently many participants were outraged over some states wanting to drug test as a requirement of the program. Why are they mad? These regulations are implemented so we do not waste taxpayers money.If you can afford to buy drugs then you can afford to buy food.I am sometimes outraged with some peoples sense of entitlement.When looking for a job some companies require a drug test prior to employment.I agree with these regulations and I think if there were some kind of time frame it would actually help the reduction of food insecurity because more people would start being proactive.The only disagreement I might have with food stamp policy is the income requirement you must satisfy to receive benefits. We are classified into brackets of lower income, middle income, and higher income but today's middle income is becoming closer to being lower income because of rising cost.
The Food Stamp Program, for what I know, was later changed to The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The SNAP provides financial assistance for food purchasing to low- and no-income people and families living in the U.S. It is a federal aid program, administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but benefits are distributed by the individual U.S. states. It is historically and commonly known as the Food Stamp Program. In the 2011 fiscal year, $76.7 billion in food stamps were distributed. As of March 2012, 46.4 million Americans were receiving on average $133.14 per month in food stamps. Recipients must have at most near-poverty incomes to qualify for benefits, and in Washington, D.C., and Mississippi, more than one-fifth of residents receive food stamps.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite interesting, I never thought about the impact of the Food Stamp Program on food security. I completely agree with Jeanette, the good stamp program is very beneficial for those in need however there has to be some regulations. These regulations help maintain food insecurity, allow taxpayer’s money to be spent where it is needed most and also encourage those that are capable of having a sufficient income be more proactive and take responsibility.
ReplyDelete