Memo: Voters Support Overhauling America's School Meal Programs
By Austin Frerick, Agriculture and Sustainability Senior Fellow at Data for Progress
Nearly two-thirds of Americans, including a majority on both sides of the aisle, want the federal government to ensure that school lunches are fresh, healthy, prepared onsite, and locally grown. This polling indicates strong support for overhauling meal programs in America’s schools, which would create structural change in the country’s food economy and lead to a number of benefits for schoolchildren, farmers, and workers.
Although it may not be immediately apparent, overhauling America’s school meal programs can serve as an effective change-agent for realigning the American economy. Schools buy a lot of food, and they buy it predictably and reliably. In fact, school cafeterias across the country serve nearly five billion lunches a year. By leveraging this purchasing power, we can shift food supply chains to revitalize rural communities, combat climate change, produce healthier food, and improve labor conditions for workers.
