The USDA Food and Nutrition Service conducts a variety of studies, evaluations, and related activities that respond to the needs of policymakers and managers and help ensure that nutrition assistance programs achieve their goals effectively. This plan provides short descriptions of projects that are expected to launch in fiscal year (FY) 2025.
It reflects decisions by FNS program and research staff and leadership on the best use of available research funding to meet current information needs that are aligned with agency priorities to improve program efficiency, integrity, and nutrition. FNS developed this plan in consultation with the agencies of the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted school meal operations and has contributed to lasting supply chain issues affecting the cost and availability of food and labor. The School Food Authority Survey II on Supply Chain Disruption and Student Participation was administered to all SFAs operating child nutrition programs in schools to gather information on the impacts of continued supply chain disruptions and the return to standard operations during SY 2022–23.
This gallery contains photo albums and videos from CSFP program sites, non-profits, and government agencies.
The School Food Authority Survey on Supply Chain Disruptions was administered by FNS from November 8th through December 13th through a 20-minute online questionnaire. The survey was sent to all SFAs operating child nutrition programs to gather information on the scope of the supply chain disruptions and school meal operations during school year 2021-22.
The Summer Meals Study provides a comprehensive, nationally representative assessment of the two summer meal programs operated by USDA: the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option. It is the first national study to simultaneously examine the facilitators and barriers to program participation among participating and nonparticipating families, sponsors, and sites. This study examines the characteristics of participating and nonparticipating children, including sociodemographic characteristics, household food security status, reasons for participation or nonparticipation, and satisfaction with the meals served to children in the summer of 2018.
This CSFP sharing gallery page features links to outside organizations that provide programming, funding, or resources specifically tailored to CSFP participants and older Americans.
This CSFP sharing gallery page features e-letters, newsletters, blogs, and articles that highlight nutrition and wellness among older adults.
This gallery features a variety of toolkits that have been developed by non-profit organizations or government agencies to assist CSFP program operators in providing nutrition-related content to their participants.
These handouts provide general recommendations on handwashing, cleaning, and disinfecting, to operators of USDA Foods household programs including CSFP, TEFAP, and FDPIR.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Sharing Gallery is a collection of resources and materials to assist state and local agencies who administer CSFP and provide food and nutrition information to program participants. Resources have been organized by format type.