Yesterday, TLT guest blogger and Recipe for Success founder, Gracie Cavnar, called for a school lunch boycott this week to send a message of protest regarding the current state of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Gracie and I clearly support the same goals — improved school food and the elimination of junk food on campuses — and if the boycott she proposes brings about change, that’s a result we’d all welcome.
I would note, though, that in some districts, a boycott may not be terribly effective. In Houston ISD, for example, the seventh largest district in the country, over 80% of children qualify for free and reduced lunch. Presumably many of these families don’t have the option of engaging in a boycott, even if they have more at stake in the debate than anyone. Of the remaining 20% or so of Houston families, only a smaller subset actually participates in the program, so their absence over the course of one week may not be felt that keenly.
The other reason why I’m not crazy about boycotts generally (although I realize that Gracie is only calling for one of short duration) is that a key component to improving school food in the long run is not decreasing participation, but increasing it.
As Janet Poppendieck mentions in Free for All: Fixing School Food in America, every school meal sold has certain fixed costs associated with it – electricity, labor, building costs and the rest. As participation increases, however, those fixed costs do not increase at a commensurate level (e.g., labor costs might go up slightly if more meals are served, but building costs or the costs of lighting the cafeteria remain fixed.) Those additional dollars from increased participation can go directly back into improving the quality of food on the lunch trays.
Of course, there’s a chicken and egg problem here. Parents who don’t financially rely on the school lunch program are waiting for the system to improve before they send their kids in to eat the lunch, but it’s their dollars that would help bring about the very change they’re looking for.
I decided to call Chef Ann Cooper, aka The Renegade Lunch Lady, to talk about this issue and she told me of an idea I’d never heard of — the school food “buy-cott.” That is, concerned parents convince a school district to offer a healthy menu on a single day, replete with all the things we’re sometimes told that “kids will never eat,” like entrees that aren’t pizza and fresh fruits and vegetables. Then on the day such food is served, a “buy-cott” is staged to show the school district that there would indeed be sufficient demand for (and kid acceptance of ) such food. As Ann put it, “Why not do something positive? Show how much support healthy meals can have.”
When she guest blogged here last week, Janet Poppendieck had a similar idea in mind. She wrote:
Participation counts. If you are trying to change the food in the cafeteria, anything you can do to increase student participation in the school meal programs makes the food service department’s job easier. This is because the unit cost of providing the meal goes down as the number of students rises. If you want to see more plant-based options, and you propose a Meatless Monday, you will be more likely to succeed if you can come up with a list of children who plan to participate if the option is offered.
So, by all means, join in Gracie’s boycott in the short term if you wish. Protests and participation are not mutually exclusive. But in the long term, it’s important to remember that school lunch will change for the better when we all have a stake in the system.
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On a related note, I’m reminded of this provocative comment, left by a reader on this site just after I launched The Lunch Tray:
I am not sure why we are feeding kids (who don’t need food assistance) in school. Is it necessary for a school district to provide meals for ALL students? I mean, if you qualify for free/reduced lunch, then there is a NEED there. If not, bring your own lunch. Budgets can be drastically reduced using this method. I’m just of the opinion that it’s not the educational system’s job to feed people (especially those who don’t need it).
This reader’s question touches on another aspect of the starve-the-beast-or-feed-it conundrum: would the NSLP work better if it were restricted to just needy children? My long overdue answer is coming up on TLT . . .
Christina Bryan says
I really enjoyed this post. It was very thought provoking. My own children started taking their lunch this year after years of purchasing school lunch, but your discussion of the fixed costs and the “buy-cott” are making me reconsider…
Thanks for the “food for thought!”
bettina elias siegel says
Chris: I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment. – Bettina
Donna says
Love the idea of a buy-cott, especially now that some of the HISD food is actually something I would allow my child to eat. I’d be thrilled not to pack a lunch one day!
Dana Woldow says
Not to jump the gun, but after 8 years of working to improve school lunch in San Francisco, I can’t believe that restricting participation in school lunch to only the neediest students would in any way improve the program. As the vast majority of students who eat school lunch are qualified for free/reduced, it really doesn’t cost any more to also make that meal available for purchase by students whose families don’t qualify for govt subsidy.
But more importantly, participation by middle class students in school meal programs raises the level of awareness of what those programs are like. It is, by and large, the middle class parents who have the time and the sense of entitlement required to vocally demand changes and improvements to the program. Sad to say, here in SF, the families of our low income students are too busy working multiple jobs to have the time to investigate what their kids are being offered for school lunch. Many of them speak limited or no English, and some come from a culture which does not encourage parents to question “school authority.” It is just not reasonable to expect that families with limited time, resources, and advocacy skills are going to be able to bring the change we need in school lunch. That battle is going to have to be led by those who have the time and the resources to do so, and right now, that is the middle class.
Just look at the blogosphere – how many school lunch blogs are written by parents whose kids are qualified for free lunch?
bettina elias siegel says
Dana: You’re beating me to the punch! Agree with all of the above and will also talk about Janet Poppendieck’s thoughts on universal free lunch. I’ll quote from your comment in my post. – Bettina
Louise Goldberg says
Bravo Dana! I agree completely. I see patients at the hospital who only eat because they are able to get meals from their school (2/day)–there is no food at home for them! Their parents are not going to speak up for healthier food-they are grateful there is any at all. And Bettina, agree with you too–I never let my children purchase lunch so, while I like the sentiment behind it, a boycott is not a useful way for me to take a stand. A buy-cott; however, would be more meaningful. So…uh, where do we go from here? Do we review the school menu and pick the meal with the healthiest choices (fresh apple, etc?) and buy on that day or do we really approach HISD to make a change for one day…yikes
Maggie says
If I understood the original article, the intent was to get the attention of lawmakers & administration (not sure if they mean district administration or food service or national level). Unfortunately, it probably wouldn’t even register on the radar of those at national level. What it would do, if you have a self operated food service department, is probably cause some damage to the finances of your school district. I do realize that the food service manager might be one of the administrators that is spoken of in the original article, and yes, that would get their attention. I would hope such action would come after other options had been exhausted or talks stymied, not as an opening demonstration. I know, it’s not as dramatic to talk and discuss.
Ann Cooper’s changes seem to be struggling in Boulder Valley
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_16054506#idc-cover
Her district is supporting the food service program – financially and with positive messages to parents (requesting that they buy lunch – maybe the buy-cott she mentioned?) and media. I’m not sure a lot of food service departments would be that fortunate!
bettina elias siegel says
Maggie: That was a most interesting article about Chef Ann and Boulder. I’ll repost on Friday with a hat tip to you. – Bettina