Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-Van Nuys) introduced legislation on Feb. 13 incentivizing K-12 public schools to offer healthier, climate-friendly lunch options. Under AB 479, the Healthy Climate-Friendly School Lunch Act, schools would receive additional state funding for serving a plant-based entrée and plant-based milk. The bill is co-sponsored by Animal Hope in Legislation, Friends of the Earth, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation.

AB 479 also includes critical state support for staff training, student engagement, recipe development and other technical assistance needed to help public schools boost participation rates and successfully serve plant-based foods.

“AB 479 will increase access to healthy food options for low-income communities and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time,” Nazarian said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz, 5th District, supports the legislation.

“Given the effects that we and our northern neighbors are still feeling from the climate-exacerbated Woolsey and Camp fires, there is no question that we are in a time of profound environmental crisis,” Koretz said. “The Healthy Climate-Friendly School Lunch Act makes the best use of our institutional purchasing power to provide both healthy food and a gateway to a safe climate for the very children whose future and whose palates it will be serving.”

Growing evidence, highlighted in the recent EAT-Lancet Commission’s comprehensive study, shows that a plant-based diet is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. According to research from Tufts University, shifting to more plant-based options can reduce carbon footprints by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and requires less land and water for food production.

“California won’t meet its ambitious climate goals unless it tackles consumption-based emissions from the food sector. With millions of pounds of animal foods served each year, this bill will help California’s public schools reduce their carbon footprint while serving kids healthier food,” said Kari Hamerschlag, deputy director of food and agriculture at Friends of the Earth. “If every public school swapped out a beef burger for a veggie burger just once a month, it would save 300 million pounds of CO2 a year.”

California has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Research shows that healthy, protein-rich plant-based foods like lentils and beans are 26 to 34 times less carbon intensive than beef.

Under AB 479, eligible entrées must be free of animal products or byproducts, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy or eggs to qualify for additional reimbursement. Schools are eligible to apply for reimbursement if they serve an increase in plant-based options from a baseline year. AB 479 will also provide critical technical and financial support to expand these menu offerings and encourage many other schools to adopt the program as a model.