Obama on Exercise, School Lunches, and a White House Farmers’ Market
Source: The Official White House Photostream
Last Thursday, Obama addressed the Organizing for America Health Care Forum, and in response to a question regarding food and exercise, spoke about the possibility of food system reform and establishing a farmers’ market at the White House.
His answer recognized the direct impact that conventional food systems have on the nation’s children through school lunches — referencing upcoming child nutrition legislation — and drew links between food system reform and the current debates surrounding health care.
On school meals, Obama had this to say:
When it comes to food, one of the things that we are doing is working with school districts. And the child nutrition legislation is going to be coming up. We provide an awful lot of school lunches out there and—and reimburse local school districts for school-lunch programs. Let’s figure out how can we get some fresh fruits and vegetables in the mix. Because sometimes you go into schools and—you know what the menu is, you know? It’s French fries, Tater Tots, hot dogs, pizza and—now, that’s what kids—let’s face it, that’s what kids want to eat, anyway (Laughter.) So it’s not just the schools’ fault.
A, that’s what kids may want to eat. B, it turns out that that food’s a lot cheaper, because of the distributions that we’ve set up. And so what we’ve got to do is to change how we think about, for example, getting local farmers connected to school districts, because that would benefit the farmers, delivering fresh produce, but right now they just don’t have the distribution mechanisms set up.
This last section demonstrates the growing awareness in Washington (or perhaps they always knew, but weren’t letting on) that cheap food is only cheap because of the way ag subsidies and food distribution and retail are currently set up. Acknowledging this fact will be a prerequisite for any future food system reform.
Obama continues to suggest that the First Lady might not stop at an organic garden for the White House:
One of the things that we’re trying to do now is to figure out, can we get a little farmers’ market—outside of the White House—I’m not going to have all of you all just tromping around inside—(laughter)—but right outside the White House—(laughter)—so that—so that we can—and—and—and that is a win-win situation.
It gives suddenly D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue-maker for local farmers in the area. And—and that—those kinds of connections can be made all throughout the country, and—and has to be part of how we think about health.
We’ll keep you posted! Thanks to Grist for the transcibed Q & A, and if you want to watch the entire Organizing for America Health Care Forum, you can do so below.
