Climate-Friendly School Food
School food is a daily source of nourishment for more than 32 million children nationwide, serving over 7 billion meals annually. As one of the nation’s largest public feeding programs, U.S. K-12 public schools have a profound impact and opportunity to improve the health of students and the environment for generations to come. Despite growing student demand, plant-based options account for a tiny portion of school meals. Serving more plant-based food and reducing institutional purchasing of factory farmed meat and dairy in schools is a high-impact strategy to mitigate climate change, improve student health and racial equity, and strengthen local food systems.
Friends of the Earth’s Climate-Friendly School Food Program helps school districts make the shift towards healthy, delicious, organic, plant forward menus. We provide organic procurement and plant-based technical assistance and marketing materials, support student and community engagement strategies, and link school districts with the resources they need in order to be successful. We also partner with school districts and NGOs to advocate for state and federal policy change. For more information or to request support, please email [email protected].
Learn more about Friends of the Earth’s Climate-Friendly School Food Program
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California has pushed farther in investing state funding for free and nutritious student meals that offer plant-based options, according to a new report that tracks progress on plant-based options over a five-year period and highlights success stories from across the state.
This week, members of the Plant Powered Youth Steering Committee met with their elected representatives and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to advocate for expanding daily access to plant-based meals in K-12 schools.
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a Final Rule updating nutrition standards for child nutrition programs, including school lunch and breakfast.
Inspiring Stories from K-12 School Districts:
- School Food Service Director Video
- How a Rockstar Lentil Burger Inspired More Plant-Forward School Food
- School Districts Pioneering Climate-Friendly School Food
- California Organic School Food Case Studies
- Organic, Plant-Forward Scratch Cooked School Meals: A California Case Study
- Santa Ana USD’s Plant-Based Meals Initiative
Student involvement on the local level in one’s own school district inspires and drives the change needed throughout our country.
Congress should mitigate the racial health disparities that leave Black people so vulnerable to COVID-19 by ensuring every student has access to nutritious school meals.
School food advocates cheered earlier this month when California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a major boost in state funding for California school food.
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Learn MorePlant-Based Trends in California’s School Lunches (2024)
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Learn MoreThe State of School Lunch in California
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Learn MoreOrganic School Food Roadmap