Joseph T. Llobrera, MA

Mentor   Dr. Wilde

Recent Work

Prior to my Friedman Fellowship, I spent five years at a Washington, DC nonprofit working on federal and state policy issues related to the Food Stamp Program (now called SNAP). My current studies and research continue to focus on food policy issues that are relevant to low-income families and individuals. My most recent research uses USDA's Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) to investigate the affordability of a nutritious diet. The Thrifty Food Plan was developed by USDA to serve as an example of a meal plan that low-income Americans could purchase to obtain a nutritious diet at a minimal cost. The Thrifty Food Plan also serves as the basis for SNAP benefits levels. I am interested in learning more about the tradeoffs between the nutrition quality and costs of foods. In other words, how does one improve diet quality while on a limited food budget?