The vegan celebrity recently attended a Capitol Hill briefing with her mother in support of a new bill to make plant-based meals more accessible in schools.
Billie Eilish took a detour from her Happier Than Ever World Tour to advocate for plant-based school meals on Capital Hill. Billie and her mother, Maggie Baird, attended a Capitol Hill briefing in support of a new bill that could make plant-based meals more accessible in schools.
The bill was introduced in June 2021 by Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). The proposed legislation, Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act, would give grants to incentivize schools to serve plant-based meals.
Vegan lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular, and more plant-based alternatives are available than ever before. However, schools are struggling to implement plant-based meals due to policy barriers that favour animal products. Not only is a plant-based diet proven to be great for health, but it also helps fight climate change. The bill strives to provide schools with the resources to serve healthy, environmentally friendly, plant-based meals.
“I’m proud to advocate for this legislation that will help to fight climate change, combat food insecurity, and promote health equity,” Billie Eilish said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Billie and her mother have advocated for plant-based living. Billie’s mother, Maggie Baird, is the founder of Support and Feed, a food justice organization whose mission is to “Support and Feed takes action for a global shift to an equitable, plant-based food system to combat food insecurity and the climate crisis.”
“Providing nourishing, plant-based school meals is crucial to improving the health of our kids and protecting the planet that they will inherit from us. With climate catastrophe looming and racial health disparities worsening, Congress must prioritize passing the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act,” said Maggie Baird
The Capitol Hill briefing also featured a heartwarming video showing why students across the U.S. are demanding the availability of plant-based options in schools.
“Every child deserves healthy, nutritious, and sustainable meals that respect their choice. The Healthy Future Students and Earth Act will invest in the health of our children and help combat climate change by funding plant-based entrées in schools across the country,” Representative Velázquez said in a statement, “I’m proud to champion legislation that would deliver food justice for all and build a greener, healthier future for our kids.”
Original source: https://www.onegreenplanet.org