Getting locally grown food onto a schoolchild's lunch tray depends on more than farms and cafeterias, according to a report from Phys.org. The key missing piece is often the middle step: supply chains that can sort, process, and package local farm products into forms schools can use.
These supply chains "don't always exist," the report notes, meaning that even when farmers want to sell to schools and food service staff want to buy local, the practical logistics fall apart. Without facilities to wash, chop, bag, or otherwise prepare produce, raw farm goods may not fit the needs of a busy school kitchen.
The report highlights that the problem is structural rather than a lack of willingness. Communities that want to serve local food may need to invest in shared processing and distribution infrastructure to bridge the gap between farm and cafeteria.