Addressing a very friendly Labor Day "eat-in" in San Lorenzo Park, Rep Sam Farr (D-Carmel) and Assembly Bill Monning (D-27) spoke forcefully about the need to provide healthy, local food and teach children good nutrition habits.
The "eat-in" drew more than 100, many teachers, students, parents, members of advocacy groups as well as local politicians. The sponsors were the
Santa Cruz Education Foundation and
Slow Food Santa Cruz.
The current Childhood Nutrition Act, up for renewal in Congress, is the basis for federally subsidized school hot lunch program for eligible students, which includes just under 48% of Santa Cruz County students. (Other students may purchase these meals.) However, the program only provides $2.57 per student per meal to cover costs, including salaries and administration, leaving about $1 for actual food. Advocates are calling for another $1 be added to the federal program, at a cost of an extra $5 billion nationwide.
Compared to the annual federal cost for diabetes of $120 billion, Michelle Obama has argued $5 billion for children is a bargain.
At the event, Farr explained the federal law was an attempt to serve two audiences, low-income children and the agricultural industry who need to dispose of excess commodities (sugar, peanuts, wheat, corn, milk, etc.). This has led to a few puzzles. For example, milk and dairy are considered two separate programs to appeal to the dairy industry. Since most school districts can not handle a freight car full of wheat, all foods are sent to food processors who deliver the highly processed foods to schools.
Farr called for simplified system, with more local control, more local food and an expansion of the program to cover employees working "in jails and on the fire lines." He called for a "salad bar in every school" and vowed to "Rewrite, not renew the Childhood Nutrition Act" upon return to Washington.
Monning spoke of the people who harvest our foods and that even on Labor Day many agricultural workers do not have the day off. He stressed the need for nutrition education, the crisis in Pajaro Valley schools and that forecasts show "almost 1 out of 3 Hispanic adults will develop diabetes." He urged more farm-to-school programs and more science fair projects involving agriculture.
Santa Cruz Mayor Mathews also spoke and several local politicians were announced.
Before the event, one parent said, "It's all about convenience and we are a packaged food nation." Another said, "Part of the problem is, unfortunately, many parents do not know healthy choices, but we can not preach."
[Other undiscussed alternatives might be: tightening nutrition labeling laws, restricting or banning advertising or sales of unhealthy food to minors, as we have done with tobaaco.]
We need to follow Farr's legislation in Washington.
More on the Labor Day Event:
SJ Mercury
Background:
Santa Cruz Weekly (food nutrition in Santa Cruz schools)
Child Nutrition Law (New York Times
(background on legislation and proposals)
Recommendations (Center for Science in the Public Interest)
"Good nutrition should begin in childhood when eating habits are formed and chronic diseases begin to develop. Yet over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents. Only 2% of children eat a healthy diet ...
Prior Green Watch blog post
