U.S. Food Security & Agriculture
Abt partners with federal agencies and others to build food security solutions for healthy communities while making food systems more resilient through sustainable agriculture. For decades, our studies have informed national policy decisions and legislation to prevent and mitigate food insecurity and promote nutrition—especially for children and families. Today, we also deliver climate vulnerability, impact assessments, and cost-benefit analyses for new climate-smart agricultural strategies. We regularly engage communities and other stakeholders as we compile data into best practices, enabling scaling of multisectoral programs to reach those most affected by food insecurity.
Expertise
- Community and Stakeholder Engagement
- Process and Implementation Evaluation
- Data and Spatial Analysis
- Climate Vulnerability and Impact Assessments
Clients Include
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
States and Tribal governments
Our Work
Evaluation of the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program using focus groups, interviews, and analysis of grocery transactions
Study of whether the Thrifty Food Plan—a flat fee that estimates the cost of healthy meals for a family of four—is feasible for nationwide use
Identifying best practices for manure management through anaerobic digestion and other methods for reducing agricultural methane emissions
Examined potential impact of limiting purchase choices via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to promote consumption of nutritious foods
Analysis of how school nutrition managers use the E-STAR program to improve and scale it to other states
Our Experts
Insights
Spotlight On: Food and Nutrition
Abt Global supports work in child nutrition to improve the availability of, access to, and consumption of nutritious food in children worldwide.
Abt Conversations: Implementing Summer EBT—Tips from the Chickasaw Nation
Abt’s René Nutter talks with Tyra Shackleford, Chickasaw Nation’s Summer EBT Manager, about what it takes for a successful Summer EBT implementation.
Big Win for Children’s Nutrition: Summer EBT Fully Funded
Abt Global’s decade of evaluations of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children pilot can inform the national rollout of the pilot.
Abt Team to Study How SNAP Food Aid Works
An Abt-led team will study whether eligible families across the U.S. can have a nutritious, affordable diet under the current SNAP benefit amount.
Evaluating the Healthy Incentives Pilot Demonstration
Most U.S. adults do not meet the Dietary Guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake, especially people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and other low-income Americans. While evidence suggests that improved diet quality…
Portrait of WIC Participants and Programs: Capturing Data through the Abt-Designed Automated Reporting System
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health-care referrals, and nutrition education. The beneficiaries: nearly 8 million low-income pregnant,…
Study of Nutrition and Wellness Quality in Child Care Settings
Abt Global conducted a five-year Study of Nutrition and Wellness Quality in Child Care Settings for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Congress asked the USDA to conduct the study in response to concerns about…