Abstract
We assess the effects of the European Union's School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme (SFVS) on reported consumption frequencies and revealed preferences for fruit and vegetables among schoolchildren. Estimated treatment effects based on double-difference models indicate that the SFVS raised children's fruit and vegetable consumption frequency by 30% to 50%. However, the results from actual choice data show that children exposed to the program had a decreased probability of choosing apple slices over cookies. Our findings suggest that the program increased fruit and vegetable consumption because of increased availability, exposure, and awareness rather than actual preference changes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 742-763 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Dec 2019 |
Keywords
- Double-difference
- fruit and vegetables
- policy evaluation
- quasi-experiment
- school fruit and vegetables scheme