Task force promotes free meals for all students ahead of White House hunger conference

The Task Force on Hunger, Nutrition and Health—an independent group of leaders convened to guide the White House as it plans to host its upcoming Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health—has released a report that outlines different steps the government should take to reduce hunger and promote healthy eating throughout the country.

In the report, the task force recommends that the government allow the return of universal free meals for all students at school. It also suggests reducing the percentage of students who qualify for free meals that schools must meet to be eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision.  

The report has been shared with the White House and has also been released publicly.

The task force was created in response to the White House’s upcoming Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. It is made up of leaders from academia, civil society, government and the private sector, including Chef José Andrés of World Central Kitchen and former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.

The White House is planning to host its Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health sometime next month. The last time the White House hosted this conference was during the Nixon Administration in 1969. That conference launched the creation of several federal nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast Program.