This story was produced by Grist and reprinted with permission.
In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was enacted by U.S. lawmakers to combat childhood obesity and hunger through healthier school meals. By 2012, the Department of Agriculture revised its guidelines for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), allowing reimbursement only for meals that excluded 2 percent and whole milk due to their saturated fat content.
Representative Glenn “G.T.” Thompson has actively pursued a reversal. Representing Pennsylvania’s 15th district, he attributes a decline in milk consumption among students to the 2010 law. “We have lost a generation of milk drinkers since whole milk was demonized and removed from schools,” Thompson said in 2021.
From 2019 to 2023, Thompson introduced the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act three times without success. The bill seeks to reintroduce whole milk in the NSLP. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group proposed the Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches (FISCAL) Act to expand milk options to include plant-based alternatives, allowing schools to serve vegan milks alongside cow’s milk.
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The FISCAL Act’s focus is on health benefits of plant-based milks for lactose-intolerant students. “Most of this nation’s children of color are lactose intolerant, and yet our school lunch program policy makes it difficult for these kids to access a nutritious fluid beverage that doesn’t make them sick,” said Senator Cory Booker, a co-sponsor. The conversation around milk in schools is complex, especially under President Trump’s second term.
Despite milk’s low carbon footprint compared to other proteins, dairy production still poses climate challenges, primarily from methane emissions. In 2020, research showed dairy cows release significant methane, contributing 2.7% of the U.S.’s greenhouse gases.
Plant-based milks like soy, almond, and oat have varying environmental impacts but generally require less land and water, emitting fewer gases. The Center for a Humane Economy supports the FISCAL Act, advocating for more flexibility in schools to meet the needs of lactose-intolerant students.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes a steady decline in milk consumption since the 1970s, partly due to dietary changes and increased racial diversity. It’s estimated half of American adults struggle with lactose digestion, with higher rates in minority communities.
Wayne Pacelle, from Animal Wellness Action, highlighted dairy’s environmental impact: “It’s just a truth that cows are big contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.” Yet, discussion around cow’s milk in schools often shifts away from climate arguments, given current political dynamics.
Republicans advocating for whole milk highlight its health and economic benefits. During an April Senate committee hearing, Senator Roger Marshall endorsed “Make America Healthy Again,” a movement echoing wellness and food safety concerns. The focus on health and food waste, a major greenhouse gas source, underscores the debate. Nearly half of milk cartons are wasted in schools annually.
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Krista Byler, a food service director, testified that offering whole milk increased consumption and reduced waste. Advocates of the FISCAL Act suggest students would drink more if plant-based options were available. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids bill recently passed a House committee, while the FISCAL Act remains in discussion. Pacelle believes its best chance is as an amendment to the whole milk bill, offering more student choice.
This story was produced by Grist and reprinted with permission.
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