Food Policy and Social Justice: Evaluating the Food Purchasing Practices of Lehigh Valley School Districts

This paper applies Iris Young's theory of social justice to evaluate food purchasing practices of school districts in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. For Young, justice is achieved when institutional processes and procedures support individuals' self-development and self-determination. Drawing on budgetary information from six school districts attained through "Open Records Requests," I argue that Lehigh Valley schools are not meeting basic conditions of justice. However, there is much to learn from other school districts and schools throughout the country. Achieving food justice in the Lehigh value will require food purchasing practices that bring more healthy and nutritious foods into school food programs. It will also require greater transparency in school districts' food purchasing practices, and increased public discussion through which parents can learn about the long-term impacts of unhealthy food, and therefore hold elected school board officials accountable for food choices that undermine students' capacity to learn.