Stakeholder Perspectives on Applying for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in Low-Resource Schools

The USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) was designed to increase access to nutritious foods in low-income schools; however, many eligible schools do not participate. This study explores how school stakeholders in low-resource settings make decisions about applying for the FFVP grant.

Fifty-four one-hour in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders from 14 low-income South Carolina public schools. Interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Stakeholders applied for an FFVP grant when they believed the program would benefit students, felt a moral obligation to address injustices, perceived the school as eligible, and thought they had the capacity to manage the program's administrative burdens. Common barriers reported were being overburdened with other responsibilities at the school level, a lack of funding continuity, and not having physical space to accommodate the produce snacks.

Reframing narratives surrounding child hunger and nutrition programs from welfare state and free-market frames could augment applications as it reduces contextual and systematic barriers to application.

This study shows that school stakeholder motivations for application emphasize context surrounding child well-being and moral imperatives in addition to eligibility systems and capacity.