Joining Forces: ButcherBox and Chef Ann Foundation Team Up to "Raise the Tray"

We are thrilled to announce a powerful new partnership with ButcherBox, the leading direct-to-consumer meat & seafood brand that delivers high-quality, humanely raised meat and sustainably sourced seafood to consumers’ doorsteps. 

They believe that the meat and seafood served in school cafeterias should meet the same high standards as the food they deliver to doorsteps across the country. Together, we are pushing the USDA to establish clear quality standards and to keep meat produced with antibiotics out of school lunches.

THE ISSUE

Last year, the National School Lunch Program fed over 29.4 million children on a typical school day. Despite this program’s extensive reach, there are currently no national quality standards for the meat and seafood that make up the proteins of school lunches. That means any meat or seafood products — many of which were raised with routine antibiotic overuse and misuse — are able to be served to over 29 million American children each day.   

Our aligned vision in valuing food transparency and the health of our children creates the synergy of this partnership. At the Chef Ann Foundation, we have seen firsthand how high-quality proteins can change a student’s day. From helping schools in Dillingham, Alaska, serve fresh, local fish to our work with the PLANTS (Partnerships for Local Agriculture & Nutrition Transformation in Schools) grant to improve local food systems, we know that kids thrive when they have access to healthy, thoughtfully sourced meals. As a certified B Corp, ButcherBox’s sourcing philosophy is unparalleled. Their commitment to sourcing proteins without antibiotics or added hormones, as well as from partners with third-party animal welfare certifications, is admirable.

By working together, we are proving that companies and nonprofits can drive real change in the food system. ButcherBox has already gathered more than 21,000 signatures on its Change.org petition and authored an open letter to the USDA (which we proudly signed) to demand better for our students. 

We invite you to join this movement for better school food by signing the petition. When we improve the quality of what is on the tray, we improve the health and future of millions of children.