Local Food Procurement in Farm-to-School programs improve school children vegetable intake

A recent publication led by Dr. Luotao Lin, an assistant professor in Individual, Family, & Community Education at the University of New Mexico, is shedding new light on how local food procurement in Farm-to-School benefits students, families, farmers, and communities across the United States.

The study, “Multi-Level Health Outcomes of Local Food Procurement in U.S. Farm-to-School Programs: A Systematic Review,” examines decades of research on Farm-to-School initiatives—programs that connect schools with local farmers to provide fresh, locally sourced foods for school meals. Through a comprehensive review of existing evidence, the study highlights how these programs improve student nutrition, support local economies, and strengthen community food systems.

Farm-to-School programs have grown rapidly nationwide, yet questions remain about their long-term impacts and implementation challenges. By synthesizing findings from peer-review and gray literature, this research provides one of the most complete assessments to date of how local food procurement influences dietary behaviors, health outcomes, agricultural sustainability, and community resilience.

“Our findings show that local food procurement as part of Farm-to-School programs is associated with higher vegetable intake among children. Additional rigorous research is required to comprehensively assess multi-level impacts on other child, family, farmers, and community health outcomes.” said Dr. Lin.

The review also identifies key barriers and facilitators to successful program implementation, including funding stability, supply chain coordination, staff capacity, and policy support. These insights offer practical guidance and evidence for schools, policymakers, and community organizations seeking to expand or strengthen Farm-to-School initiatives.

This work reflects UNM’s strong commitment to community-engaged research and nutrition equity. The project was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Eating Research program and involved collaboration with faculty across disciplines and institutions.

In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, the publication contributes to evidence-based policymaking by demonstrating how investments in local food systems can generate long-term public health and economic benefits. The findings are expected to inform future school nutrition policies and support efforts to build more sustainable and equitable food systems.

The article was published in Advances in Nutrition (Impact factor=9.2), a leading peer-reviewed journal in nutrition and public health.

Through this work, Dr. Lin continues to advance UNM’s mission of translating research into real-world impact, improving health, supporting local communities, and strengthening food systems for future generations.