By Clint Thompson
Multiple agricultural organizations, including the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and Alabama Farmers Federation, were part of a coalition that sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), urging the USDA to halt new waivers that weaken Buy American requirements for school food purchases.
“For our industries, school meals represent a vital lifeline that supports growers, processors and the rural communities they sustain. When schools source products from foreign suppliers, it undermines the economic health of U.S. agriculture and directly contradicts President Trump’s emphasis on America First policies,” the letter read. “Unfortunately, foreign products have been making significant inroads into school meals in recent years. Schools in more than 25 states have served canned peaches from China.”
Letter Stats
The letter added that according to the USDA, 80% of the apple juice served in public schools is imported, mostly from China. More than half of fish sticks served have been made from fish caught on Russian vessels and processed in China.
“These foreign purchases undercut American growers and processors, making it harder to compete, invest and sustain jobs,” the letter noted.
Congress enacted the Buy American provision for schools which ensured that taxpayer dollars spent on school meals support American agriculture and local economies.
“The final rule published in April 2024, established a phased-in cap for non-domestic purchases and provided clarity for school food authorities. However, the waiver process established in the February 20, 2025, guidance memo by USDA’s Food & Nutrition Service, undermines these protections – making it easier for schools to exceed the 10% threshold for foreign products and threatening the stability of domestic supply chains,” the letter read. “In our view, there is no justification for waivers that allow even greater foreign sourcing especially when American growers are ready and able to meet nutrition needs.
“The streamlined waiver process not only rolls back progress but also sends a discouraging signal to domestic processors who have invested in meeting the requirements of school meal programs.”
The letter concluded by urging the USDA to cease issuing waivers that allow schools to exceed the established thresholds for non-domestic food purchases.
Click here to read letter.