An August 2005 report from the General Accounting Office found that 9 out of 10 schools sold "competitive" foods to students. The report [pdf file] provides information from two nationally representative surveys about the prevalence of competitive foods in schools, competitive foods restrictions and groups involved in their sale, and the amounts and uses of revenue generated from the sale of competitive foods. It also provides information about strategies schools have used to limit the availability of less nutritious competitive foods. The three key findings for social marketers are:
Many schools earn substanbtial amounts of discretionary income from these sales that serve as a critical barrier to policy changes - especially from groups who benefit from rthe additional income.
For example, we estimate that 40 percent of high school food services and nearly a quarter of middle school food services selling competitive foods through a la carte lines generated more than $50,000 per school through these sales in 2003-2004. Furthermore, food services in 20 percent of high schools selling a la carte items generated more than $125,000 per school.
Individual program champions are key to the success of any efforts to restict or alter these policies regardless of the level of involvement of policy makers.
Although the districts we visited increased the availability of healthy competitive foods and decreased less nutritious items through differing approaches, perseverant and committed individuals took actions in each district to initiate and lead the process of change while also taking steps to involve and obtain support from those affected.
Schools do not collect data to document whether changes in competitive food offerings impact revenue.
[O]fficials noted that they faced several barriers to making changes, including concerns about potential revenue losses, among others. Concerning the effects of changes on sales revenues, none of the districts we visited had sufficient data to examine these effects, and few had planned for these effects before implementing changes. Regardless of the limited data on revenue, many officials expressed strong concerns about potential revenue losses largely because competitive food sales have provided a source of flexible funding used for a wide variety of purposes.
Bottom Line: Lack of support from the groups that use revenue from competitive food sales can scuttle policy changes. Furthermore, the lack of a single person responsible for the presence and sale of competitive foods in schools complicates efforts to ensure that new policies will be implemented as intended and maintained over time.
While many people who talk about changes in the competitive food environment within schools focus on product substitutions and food appeal, this report notes the importance of price issues - not from the students' perspective, but from that of the various groups who benefit from the additional revenues, whether they be school food service or other school groups. In addition, while policy changes may be possible at the level of the Principal or School Board, it is still an individual that makes or breaks the program. This suggests that incentive and reinforcement systems (support systems?) need to be built into programs that target this issue to nurture this "sales force."
- 90 Percentage of public schools selling snacks such as candy, soda, pizza and popcorn from vending machines, the cafeteria and school stores.
- 75 Percentage of public high schools with exclusive soft drink contracts.
- 65 Percentage of public middle schools with such contracts.
- 26 Percentage of public middle schools with such contracts five years ago
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