Latest news with #schoolnutrition
CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Major USDA cuts cripple food banks, school food programs in North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina — At Riverside High School in Durham, North Carolina, the food is as fresh as can be because most of it comes from local growers. "We receive local shredded carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, because we feel that we need to support people in our own communities," Jim Keaten, who runs the nutrition program for Durham Public Schools, told CBS News. Keaten said the school district's produce comes from local growers under a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that was cut by the Trump administration. "Immediately, my thoughts were, what are we going to do?" Keaten said of his first response when he learned the program funding had been cut. "Because these are the funds we use to provide local foods to kids." In March, the White House cut two federal programs that provide just over $1 billion in annual funding to school districts and food banks nationwide. It slashed $660 million in funding to the Local Food for Schools program, and another $420 million to the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which goes to food banks and other local groups. The impact is being felt in every state, including North Carolina, where CBS News followed the trail of food and funds to assess the impact of the cuts. One of the growers providing food to schools is Pine Knot Farms in Hurdle Mills, about one hour's drive from Riverside High School. Linda Leach-Hughes, co-owner of the farm, said last year it sold $150,000 in produce to local schools. She calls the sudden loss of revenue "devastating." "If we do not have this extra income coming in to help local folks in the community, then we will have to lay folks off, we can no longer employ folks," Leach-Hughes told CBS News. Pine Knot Farms also provides produce to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Amy Beros, the food bank's president and CEO, said its share of lost aid from the cuts is now at about $2 million. "I don't understand," Beros said. "We're facing one of the worst hunger crises in decades, and now we're going to increase the need even more. The access to this food makes them not have to choose between the life-saving medicine they need and food for that month." The concern over who gets fed is especially felt by those who grow it. "How are you going to make America great again if you're taking food out of the mouths of babies, senior citizens, nursing homes, rehab centers, hospitals, all of these agencies that are dependent on federal dollars?" Leah-Hughes asked. "How are you going to make America great again?" contributed to this report.
The Herald
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald
School nutrition programme chaos is unacceptable
For millions of children in SA, the most reliable, and sometimes only, meal of the day is the one served at school. The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is not merely a support service; it is a cornerstone of education, equity and child development. Now that cornerstone is crumbling. The result — children are starving. The Herald reported this week that t housands of children in Nelson Mandela Bay were going hungry as school kitchen cupboards stood empty. This is due to a delay in funding for the nutrition programme. In a circular sent by the education department to schools, it said the first tranche of the NSNP payments could not be processed due to problems in uploading payment files on the National Treasury systems. And while some of the affected schools have made temporary provisions to feed the children, at other schools pupils are learning on empty stomachs. The Herald visited several Bay schools this week where the nutrition programme has all but collapsed. At Pendla Primary School in New Brighton, the cupboards were empty and the kitchen assistants sat idle as a result. A staff member, who is not permitted to speak to the media, said they had not been able to feed their pupils for a few months now. At two other schools — Lamani Public Primary School in New Brighton and Cedarberg Primary in Booysen Park — staff have had to make plans to ensure pupils are fed. This is an indictment on society. No child should spend even a day going hungry. A hungry pupil is at a disadvantage academically as that pupil cannot concentrate, absorb information or engage fully in class. When children go hungry due to logistical failures or poor planning, it is not just an administrative error, it is a moral failure. So those responsible for these delays should hang their heads in shame. And they should do better to ensure our NSNPs run efficiently — that funding is stable and delivery reliable. The Herald
