WASHINGTON – Today, amid reports that a California school district purchased numerous canned food products from producers in China, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) encouraged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve their efforts to help school districts meet the ‘Buy American’ requirements in the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. In a letter addressed to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, the senators emphasized the economic importance of prioritizing American farmers in school meal contracts and requested that the Department identify specific ways to ensure that school districts purchase American-made and American-grown products. The senators also encouraged the USDA to support school districts in establishing partnerships with local, new, and small farmers, as these types of partnerships strengthen local communities and support local farmers.

“We believe that American businesses, which are often competing on a global scale, should be prioritized when being awarded federal contracts. As such, we were disheartened to read reports that a school district purchased canned peaches, pears, and applesauce from Chinese producers. We urge you to pinpoint ways to better monitor school districts and to ensure compliance with federal standards requiring districts to purchase domestically grown produce,” wrote the senators. “Furthermore, we encourage the Department to assist schools in proactively establishing partnerships with local farmers. When implemented effectively, the Buy American provisions in school meal programs are an important policy tool for supporting local farms and farming communities.”

The full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20250


Dear Secretary Vilsack,

We write today to encourage your Department to improve its efforts to support school districts in purchasing domestically-grown products. We appreciate your continued leadership in implementing and working to perfect the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

We believe that American businesses, which are often competing on a global scale, should be prioritized when being awarded federal contracts. As such, we strongly support the requirements in the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act that schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program purchase food products that are grown and produced domestically. The Department is clearly a leader in the movement to ensure that all efforts possible are made to spend federal contract and grant dollars on American businesses and American workers.

As such, we were disheartened to read recent reports that a California school district purchased canned peaches, pears, and applesauce from Chinese producers. While the district in question is working hard to correct the error, we believe your Department can improve its efforts to ensure schools purchase American products to the fullest extent possible. We urge you to pinpoint ways to better monitor school districts and to ensure compliance with federal standards requiring districts to purchase domestically grown produce.

Furthermore, we encourage the Department to assist schools in proactively establishing partnerships with local farmers. When implemented effectively, the Buy American provisions in school meal programs are an important policy tool for supporting local farms and farming communities. It is critical that part of this outreach target and assist small and beginning farmers. Steady streams of capital, like those from school meal contracts, can be lifelines to new farmers and act as critical supports for a new generation of farmers.

Thank you for your consideration and your continued and dedicated work on behalf of our nation’s farmers.

Sincerely,

Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator