The Coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact on food assistance programs and on global child nutrition. U.S. dry beans are shipped to numerous countries around the world, as they are a staple of many diets and prized for their nutritious value. Nearly 1.5 billion children – more than half of the world’s student population – are being kept home from school due to pandemic response measures. Nationwide school closures are in place in more than 180 countries, while in many others there are localized closures which threaten to become countrywide.
In response, the U.S. Dry Bean Council is supporting the idea that school feeding programs need to maintain flexibility and responsiveness to changing conditions for supply and distribution of food and provision of nutrition services, while ensuring compliance with COVID-19 protocols. This may include delivery of meals or take home rations to children who are out of school so they have access to nutritious food. Read more.
