School Lunch Program: Evaluation of Alternatives to Commodity Donations

In response to a congressional request, GAO examined a Department of Agriculture (USDA) demonstration project that tested the distribution of cash payments and commodity letters of credit (CLOC) in lieu of donated USDA commodities at selected school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Specifically, GAO determined the: (1) appropriateness of the project methodology USDA used; (2) reliability of data supporting the project's findings; and (3) cost-effectiveness of implementing procedures.