Tradeoffs in Farm to School Implementation: Larger Foodsheds Drive Greater Local Food Expenditures

Local food offerings differ within and across school districts with farm-to-school programs. Using two waves of nationwide data, we estimate the relationship between two supply chain indicatorsÑ local foodshed size and length of local food supply chainÑand districtsÕ local food expenditures. We find that increasing foodshed radius by 50 miles and sourcing from intermediaries increases the average districtÕs local spending by 8% and 26%, respectively. DistrictsÕ actions to increase student access to local foods by widening definitions of local or sourcing through intermediaries thus have the potential to reduce localized benefits to nearby farmers and community members.