Our Future

School food has come a long way since we opened our doors in 2009. Ignited by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, we have seen a focus on healthy eating in schools coupled by support from Federal and State government agencies, non-profit organizations, trade organizations, and school stakeholder groups. This has helped to elevate CAF’s work, driving acceleration and awareness for scratch cooking in schools. Today, CAF is recognized as the foremost expert in self-operated, cook from scratch school food operations.

As we look to the next decade, we’ve had to ask ourselves, where do we go from here? While there has been a national focus on healthier food in schools, we believe that CAF’s work is needed more than ever. Processed food is still prevalent in school meals; manufacturers have just reformulated their packaged food to meet the current HHFKA guidelines. School food is still undervalued within a district’s priorities and viewed as a revenue stream, not an area for investment. While there has been increased nonprofit work in school food, there is still not enough knowledge and expertise to provide districts with the operational support to ensure they develop a successful, sustainable cook from scratch program.

Most importantly, our food systems are continuing to contribute to domestic and global environmental issues. With 30 million school lunches served every day in the US (and $18+ billion spent on school food every year), we need to provide opportunities for schools to harness their purchasing power and positively impact individual habits, health, and the environment.