Companion bills in the House and Senate would make it easier for schools to buy locally produced foods to serve to their students, said sponsors on Thursday. Advocacy groups said the “Kids Eat Local” legislation could become part of an overhaul, now in its early stages, of child nutrition programs that cost $23 billion a year.
At present, schools can indicate a geographic preference for the origin of food that they procure, but they cannot specify “local.” Proponents including the National Farm to School Network say the House and Senate bills would give food directors the easier option of asking for locally grown, raised, or caught foods while allowing flexibility in defining how local those foods should be.
“This legislation will increase locally grown foods in our school lunch rooms while strengthening our farms and rural communities,” said Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a co-sponsor with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. The House sponsors are Reps. Chellie Pingree of Maine, Josh Harder of California, and Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska. “In the midst of an increase in diabetes and obesity in this country, it is critical to provide kids with healthy choices in the lunchroom,” said Pingree.