Every student in Washington, DC should have access to a school lunch that works for them. Yet students who want or need a non-dairy milk alternative can face unnecessary barriers, including requiring a parent or guardian to complete paperwork. Some DC students have been told they must take dairy milk with their school lunch—even when they don't want or intend to drink it.

This matters in a diverse city like DC. Lactose intolerance and lactose malabsorption disproportionately affect several communities of color, including Black, Asian, Latino, and Native American communities. Making non-dairy milk harder to access can therefore create an unnecessary barrier for many of the students our schools serve.

FARM's DC intern, Julian, a local high school student, experienced this issue himself. While attending a DC charter school, non-dairy options were not readily available, and students receiving school lunch were required to take dairy milk.

We're asking DC schools to make a nutritionally appropriate non-dairy milk option readily available to all students without special paperwork, and to allow students to decline dairy milk.

Students shouldn't have to jump through hoops to choose a non-dairy option. Greater choice can make school meals more inclusive while also reducing unnecessary food waste.

Sign this petition to help give DC students equal access and greater choice at lunchtime.