Source: Dairy Farmers of Ontario
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is proud to announce a new partnership with Student Nutrition Ontario to provide ongoing funding throughout the school year to ensure all Ontario children have equal opportunity to access milk. In 2020, DFO will provide up to $500,000 to Student Nutrition Ontario, giving back a 10 cent donation for every purchased unit of milk.
“Dairy Farmers of Ontario is deeply committed to supporting youth in local communities where we live and work,” says Sean Bredt, DFO Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer. “It is through school milk programs like these we are able to give back and make milk accessible to all students across the province and support them living a healthy and happy life.”
Through this program, DFO will help children access 5,000,000 servings of milk in schools across the province this school year. The launch follows a recent study in the Canadian Journal of Public Health that found only 22 per cent of Grade 5 students consume “high-quality” diets with optimal levels of protein, calcium and other vital nutrients milk offers in abundance.1
“We are very grateful to Dairy Farmers of Ontario for its commitment to support our children,” says Catherine Parsonage, Student Nutrition Ontario Chair. “Many nutrition programs simply can’t afford to serve milk each day and yet we all know this is an important nutrient-dense food. “Ontario dairy farmers supporting Ontario’s children—what could be better.”
Student Nutrition Ontario is made up of representatives from 14 lead agencies, which administer provincial grants. These funds help develop and implement healthy breakfasts, snacks and, at times, lunch programs across the province.
For information about other DFO school milk programs, visit https://ontarioschools.milk.org.
References: 1. Bukambu E, Lieffers JRL, Ekwaru JP, Veugelers PJ, Ohinmaa A. The association between the cost and quality of diets of children in Canada. Can J Public Health. 2019.
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