We speak with Monica Chen, veteran teacher and executive director of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. Monica tells us how cow’s milk became a staple in school lunches even though most children of color do not have the ability to digest lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy products. She explains how checkoff programs like Got milk? mislead the American public into thinking these are healthy foods for human children.
References
- Factory Farming Awareness Coalition website: ffacoalition.org
- Listen to our second episode with Monica Chen “Consumption as ethics: Talking with students about food”
Overview
00:00-00:49 Intros
00:49-02:41 Factory farms and why is it important for students to know about them
02:41-04:46 How schools started serving meals
04:46-05:33 Why school food looks the same across the country
05:33-11:06 Why most schools serve milk even though many students, those from especially other-than-European backgrounds are lactose intolerant
11:06-13:10 Reimbursable lunches
13:10-16:01 Factory farm conditions for cows
16:01-18:11 Making connections between choices and impacts
18:11-21:07 Culturally responsive conversations about food
21:07-25:01 Respect/disrespect for Navajo culture in a Bureau of Indian Education school in the Navajo Nation
25:01-33:05 How schools can encourage students to think broadly about impact of choices
33:05-34:30 Impact of industry lobbying campaigns on low-income schools
34:30-35:59 Outro
Transcript
Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.
Credits
Photo: Canva
Soundtrack: Podington Bear