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What's for Lunch?
Surplus Agriculture and School Meals
June 2, 1999
Listen/download helpOn average, school lunches don't meet federal dietary guidelines. High-fat meals and corporate fast-food seem to be the order of the day. Meanwhile, big agribusiness is feeding off federal school lunch policies.
On this program, we take a look at the USDA's National School Lunch Program and some healthy alternatives. We'll also talk about the relationship between the federal school lunch program and the U.S. Commodity Foods Act, which allows for the government to buy surplus meat and produce from farmers, the fat content of the food available in school cafeterias and the agriculture industry's influence on federal agriculture policy through campaign contributions and well-funded industry associations.
This program also looks at an alternative lunch program at the John Muir and Santa Monica Alternative School House elementary schools in Los Angeles, and reactions from school children who are trying out a farmers market salad bar in their cafeteria.
Featuring:
Dr. Antonia Demas, director, Food Studies Institute; Jennifer Raymond, nutritionist, author and chef, who works with schools around the United States; Shirley Watkins, undersecretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services at the USDA; Michele Simon, attorney specializing in food and nutrition policy; Brenda Roscher, cafeteria manager; Michelle Mascarenhas, Community Food Security Project; Tracy Payton, farmers market nutrition coordinator, Santa Monica School District.
For more information:
The Food Studies Institute
60 Cayuga St.
Trumansburg, NY 14886
607-387-6884; ad14@cornell.edu
Occidental College
The Community Food Security Project
1600 Campus Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323-259-2633
Santa Monica School District
13419 Traub Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90059
310-836-4947 ext.342
Jennifer Raymond
1418 Cedar St.
Calistoga, CA 94515
707-942-2180
Michele Simon
897 Walker Ave. #4
Oakland, CA 94610
510-465-0322