Why does the federal government give commodities to participants in the National School Lunch Program?
The USDA decided to assist the National School Lunch Program because American agriculture was in need of a major outlet for many of the domestically produced crops other than the traditional commercial market. The decision to purchase products produced in America for use in our schools helps remove some of the surplus commodities and helps stabilize farm prices. Since the National School Lunch Act was passed in 1946, there has been a strong and healthy relationship between the school lunch program and the USDA commodity program.
