Late last year, the Trump Administration rolled back a series of significant school food nutrition improvements passed during President Obama’s first term. Though the federal government is intent on going backwards when it comes to children’s health, here in California, we are moving full steam ahead to ensure that tens of thousands of California students who rely on free or reduced-price school meals have healthier options on their breakfast trays and lunch plates.

Today, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) introduced AB 958, which will create the first-ever Organic-to-School pilot program at the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Office of Farm to Fork. The pilot will help schools purchase more California-produced organic food, offering up to 15 cents in additional reimbursement per meal for qualifying schools.

The bill recognizes that school food is an especially important source of nourishment for low-income students. At the same time, low-income communities across the state are burdened disproportionately by toxic pesticide use and often bear the brunt of climate change-related impacts.