NYC Schools Report Strong Student Demand And Lower GHG Emissions After Soy Milk Pilot

New data shows that a soy milk pilot program in New York City (NYC) schools found strong student demand and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

Based on the promising results and positive reaction of the students, NYC will expand the soy milk pilot program to 12 schools this fall, up from five.

Last year, the US Senate passed a bill to give children increased access to plant-based milk by allowing schools to offer dairy alternatives proactively. In May, the New York City Office of Food & Nutrition Services (OFNS) and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP) launched a pilot program offering organic soy milk on the lunch line.

The Plant Powered School Meals Coalition, which includes Chilis on Wheels, Coalition for Healthy School Food, Friends of the Earth, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), conducted the pilot.

Since May, milk selection in participating schools increased 18.6 percent, while average daily GHGs fell by 17.4 percent. Simultaneously, 35.6 percent of milk selections were soy during the pilot, signalling strong demand for dairy alternatives.

Yandel Ramirez, a recent graduate of Vertex Partnership Academies, a participating school, said, “It’s exciting that my school is part of this pilot. As a student who is lactose intolerant and who advocated for these changes at the federal level, it’s a full-circle moment to have soy milk at my school and to feel included at the lunch table.”

Plant-powered school meals

Photo shows school children queuing to receive their milk of choice at lunchtime — Plant Powered School Meals Coalition Over a third of all milk selections during the pilot program were soy

According to the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition, NYC schools’ food emissions have fallen by 59 percent since 2019, primarily driven by an increased emphasis on plant-forward menus. Food-related land use fell by 71 percent, and food-related water use fell by 40 percent.

Amie Hamlin, the executive director and co-founder of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, said, “Our work to promote Plant-based entrée options in NYC schools since 2008 has resulted in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including our role as the non-profit behind Plant-Powered Fridays (now Plant Powered on the Move), which, on its own, resulted in an astounding 42 percent carbon reduction per student.”

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