It’s World School Milk Day – another “Big Dairy” invention intended to make drinking another animal’s milk feel as American as apple pie. Here at Farm Sanctuary, we’re celebrating by explaining the problems with school milk, and what we’re doing to make sure that next year, we can all celebrate compassionately, equitably, and sustainably — with a glass of soy, oat, or other plant-based milk made for people, not cows. 

Each year, the National School Lunch Program serves more than four billion meals to children in 100,000 communities across the United States. To receive reimbursement from the federal government, every one of those meals must include cow’s milk.

The school milk mandate harms animals, people, and planet: 

• Millions of cows in the United States remain in factory farming conditions that only exist because of government subsidies.
• More than 45 million gallons of milk are thrown away annually, wasting more than $300 million in taxpayer money each year.
• Children who suffer from lactose intolerance, which disproportionately impacts children of color, receive meals that fail their minds and bodies, harming them academically and physically.
• Dairy production is an environmentally-intensive industry, whose pollution of our air, water, and land harms local communities and accelerates global climate crises.

Why are schools required to serve dairy milk? Because of Big Dairy’s big lie: that people need dairy to get their calcium. This is wrong. In fact, a variety of plant foods offer a healthy source of calcium, including beans, green leafy vegetables, squash, nuts, and seeds. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that we get our calcium from plant-based sources because a high intake of cow’s milk has been linked with an increased risk of certain cancers.

The federal government’s “school milk mandate” fails us all: animals, people, and the planet. Through rescue, education, and advocacy, Farm Sanctuary is changing hearts, minds, and systems. Together, we can replace cow’s milk with compassionate, sustainable, and equitable alternatives, and we can shift U.S. food systems to nourish without harm.

Farm Sanctuary’s K-12 curriculum includes stories of farmed animals’ lives and the best-available evidence showing how factory farming fails us. Improving access to nourishing school food is a way to change children’s daily lives for the better. These efforts also play a vital role in changing systems, shifting funding away from factory farming in order to support local, equitable, and sustainable food systems. Our education curriculum explores this intersection with thousands of students every year. Visit our website for information on how to get our humane education curriculum in your school or your child’s school!

Farm Sanctuary advocates for students to have equitable access to healthy, nourishing foods that support their need to learn, grow, and thrive. We are proud endorsers of the Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act, introduced by U.S. Representatives Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). This bill will create a voluntary grant program that would help schools cover the costs of serving healthy, plant-forward, culturally appropriate meals.

While state public schools seeking federal reimbursements are bound by the USDA’s milk mandate, state legislators have the power to challenge unjust food policy right at home. In 2024, Farm Sanctuary will introduce legislation to promote culturally appropriate beverage options in one of the nation’s top dairy-producing states. Through a Task Force to Fight Dietary Racism and a universal reimbursement program supporting the inclusion of plant-based milks in school cafeterias, these bills will improve student nutrition, promote equity and inclusion, and bolster industries that prioritize humane, sustainable, and healthy outcomes for all.

On this World School Milk Day, let’s reflect on the ways we can collectively nourish our children and communities through bold, caring choices and systemic reform. Together, we can change school food policies to align with our values and support the well-being of animals, people, and the planet.