<
https://civileats.com/2023/09/19/california-leads-the-way-in-low-carbon-school-meals/>
"In 2021, Josh Goddard came across some sobering news. That year’s United
Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report showed that
globally, meat and dairy production is responsible for fueling nearly a third
of human-caused methane gas emissions.
The IPCC assessment “was pretty unforgiving,” says the director of nutrition
services for Southern California’s Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD),
in making “strong connections between our food systems and climate change.”
Methane is a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas that scientists say has
driven roughly 30 percent of Earth’s warming since pre-industrial times.
The news was “an impetus for action” for Goddard, who runs one of the state’s
largest school meal programs serving upwards of 10 million lunches, breakfasts,
snacks, and suppers annually with more than 80 percent of students eligible for
free and reduced-priced meals.
With blessing from administrators and the community, Santa Ana schools started
offering an entirely plant-based lunch menu once a week. Milk is still
available daily per U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) requirement. The
revised offerings, which include creative dishes such as tempeh tacos and
buffalo cauliflower wraps, have helped reduce SAUSD’s climate impact, Goddard
says. His EPA-guided calculations estimate a district-wide reduction in
emissions by about 1,300 tons a year.
Santa Ana’s efforts, however, are not unique. Across the nation, students
returning to school have found expanded plant-based options in their cafeteria
offerings. But in California, an array of recent progressive school food
initiatives has helped raise the bar on making lunch menus not just more
climate-friendly, but healthier and more inclusive, by appealing to a greater
range of dietary preferences and restrictions—as well as palettes."
Via
The Fixer September 27, 2023:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/california-plant-based-climate-friendly-school-lunches/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
