T. Colin Campbell, PhD Division of Nutritional Sciences A Division of the New York State Colleges of Human Ecology and Agriculture and Life Sciences. Statutory Colleges of the State University of New York Ithaca, New York March 9, 2004 To: Whom it may concern Re: New York State Coalition for Healthy School Lunches c/o Ms. Amie Hamlin via e-mail I fully support the resolution that proposes a vegetarian/vegan option in the school lunch program. I come to this view after more than 40 years of diet and health research, lecturing and policy development (national and international), and after coming from a dairy farm background to do my doctoral research at Cornell University (MS '57, PhD '62) to make more efficient the production of livestock-based agriculture. The broad-based evidence favoring a plant-based diet is now overwhelming. I have just completed writing a book for the public that summarizes the evidence and experiences that led me to this view. I have been on several national and international expert panels that have been giving ever-increasing attention to this theme of nutrition. The health advantages of plant-based foods are especially important for children while they are forming their future dietary preferences. One issue in this proposal that especially drew my attention is as follows, "WHEREAS, Research has shown that children will choose healthy items with appropriate education at a much higher rate than those who do not have such education; "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That nutrition education materials and instruction strive to include information about healthy multicultural eating patterns and healthy vegetarian/vegan eating options." Education of young children, both in reference to the underlying science and in reference to food preparation, is crucial. On this point, I would urge that Dr. Antonia Demas (PhD, Cornell) be consulted when and if this effort is undertaken. She is undoubtedly the leading spokesperson in the U.S. on healthy school lunch programs and her non-profit institute (The Food Studies Institute, Trumansburg, NY; phone 607 387 6884) has now introduced her program into more than 200 schools in the U.S., from coast to coast. I am enclosing a brief resume of my own experiences and qualifications, primarily to emphasize my long time working on this relationship of food and health. I have been teaching for six years a well-attended course on this nutrition concept at Cornell and have seen a rapidly growing interest in this field in recent years. This resolution, if adopted, will be of great service not only to the children who choose this option, but also for many others as well. Thank you for your consideration to this important matter. Sincerely, T. Colin Campbell, PhD