Target: John Boozman, Chair of U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Goal: Don’t limit food options for school lunch and breakfast menus.
Over half a billion dollars was terminated from a federal program that helped local schools secure fresh, farm-produced food for kids. At the same time, federal leadership beefed up mandates for expensive meat and non-ultra-processed foods, while slashing dollars allocated for building the kind of kitchens within schools needed to make the newly required foods. Now, Congress may further deprive school breakfasts and lunches prepared for kids of essential fruits and vegetables.
A comprehensive farm bill that been working its way through the House of Representatives and the Senate will significantly reduce the amount of non-American-produced foods that can be purchased for school meals down to five percent of total purchases. If this change goes into effect, popular school foods that are typically imported from other countries could be dropped from meals. These offerings include nutrient-rich bananas, diced peaches, frozen broccoli, and fish.
Sign the petition below to urge Congress not to cap childhood nutrition.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Senator Boozman,
Popular imported food items like bananas are already experiencing turmoil because of ongoing and relentless tariff shifts. Congress’ farm bill should not add to these difficulties, especially when it comes to securing nutritious and edible meals for school children across the country. The current five percent proposed cap (with a phase-in abolished) on non-American food products for school breakfasts and lunches will mean kids may lose access to wholesome items they will actually eat, such as the aforementioned bananas.
At a time when National School Lunch and Breakfast programs have been hit hard by budget cuts and by program cuts and arbitrary mandates at the federal level, do not make a challenging time even worse. Lift the cap and let kids feed their bodies and their minds at school.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Anastasia Shuraeva
