PUBLIC POLICY & LEGISLATION
2026 Position Paper NEW YORK SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION
Nourishing New York’s Children and Farmers: A Call to Sustain Universal Meals & Strengthen the 30% Farm-to-School Program Background New York has made historic progress in ensuring every child has access to healthy school meals. With Universal Meals, more students than ever benefit from no-cost, nutritious food. Combined with the 30% Farm-to-School Incentive, schools are sourcing more local food, creating stable markets for New York farmers while improving student health and learning. The Challenge ■ The all-or-nothing structure of the 30% incentive penalizes districts that nearly meet thethreshold, discouraging incremental progress. ■ Since 2018, inflation has risen by 28%, reducing the real value of reimbursements. ■ Without adjustments, schools risk losing financial stability, and local farmers lose growthopportunities. The Solution 1. Maintain Universal Meals in the 2026–27 Budget
■ Guarantees uninterrupted access to nutritious meals for all students. ■ Eliminates unpaid meal debt and reduces administrative burdens. ■ Improves student health, food security, and academic readiness.
2. Adopt a Tiered, Inflation-Indexed Farm-to-School Reimbursement Structure ■ Rewards incremental purchasing while incentivizing schools to go beyond 30%. ■ Proposed increases are in addition to all program funds contributing to the base of state reimbursement for participating programs: • 25–29% local: $0.15/meal
• 30–40%: $0.21/meal • 41–50%: $0.23/meal • 51%+: $0.25/meal
■ Expands markets for NY farmers and increases access to fresh, local foods. ■ Reduces volatility of the current system without requiring major new funding. The Impact By pairing Universal Meals with a restructured 30% Farm-to-School Program, New York can: ■ Ensure equal access to nutritious meals for all children. ■ Support the state’s agricultural economy. ■ Promote long-term student health, achievement, and food security. We urge lawmakers to: ■ Fund Universal Meals in 2026–27. ■ Reform the Farm-to-School Program with a fair, tiered structure tied to inflation.
Together, these steps represent fiscally responsible choices that strengthen schools, students, and New York agriculture.
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FreshBites
WINTER 2026
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