The NYTimes is reporting on Michelle Obama’s Campaign to get Junk Food out of Schools, to curb childhood obesity. Since The National School Lunch Program, which has served millions of lunches to kids since 1946 was started, it would seem that federal guidelines should get the job done.
But there’s a problem. The agencies that administer the program have been largely co-opted by the companies who stand to gain the most by its continuing status quo. When you then look at what the current farm subsidy system has done, and the ubiquitous addition of high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, soy, wheat and rice to almost every prepackaged food, it’s hard to see how any proposed legislation could possibly succeed.
From the article:
The legislation would reauthorize the government’s school breakfast and lunch programs. It aims to transform the eating habits of many of the nation’s children and teenagers, but some school officials say it will further crimp already strained budgets.
In addition to banning sugary treats, the new rules would require many schools to offer more nutritious options, which could be expensive. The administration has proposed spending $1 billion more each year on the $18 billion meals program, but the increase may not be enough to cover the extra costs.
The reason nutritious options are more expensive is because of the current farm subsidy system. And since our Big Food Industry, from top to bottom, has been structured to take advantage of those farm subsidies, unless the subsidy system is changed, there is no way that any school lunch program will ever get truly healthy without more giveaways from Uncle Sugar.
Considering that Vilsack is a Monsanto Shill, and Monsanto deals mainly in subsidy crop seed, I doubt that we’ll see those changes happen during the current administration.
