State Duma Deputy Chairman Tatyana Butskaya, who leads the Committee on Family, Women and Children, notes that today many parents are less prone to raise complaints about school meals, and the market for school-food suppliers has become more transparent. In a conversation with NSN, she said that it is unrealistic to single out one supplier for every region, highlighting how procurement is organized in practice rather than relying on a single contractor.
Speaking at a recent session of the Parents’ Committees and Communities Union, she observed that the school nutrition system tends to favor the lowest bid, which can result in meals that do not meet health standards. Butskaya pointed out that some regions already rely on a sole supplier, a situation she views as problematic for equity and quality control.
During a recent visit to Tatarstan, she examined how a single-supplier model operates in a regional context. She compared the process to pharmaceutical manufacturing, where every stage is tracked, and oversight is present at all times. This level of traceability, she suggested, is not yet achievable everywhere in the country.
She also noted that applying such a system across all areas is impractical, citing Yakutia as an example. She described the region, roughly as large as India, and recalled that a presidential trip there had to be canceled due to weather conditions. Weather realities in Yakutia, she said, illustrate why a universal supplier cannot be relied upon to serve the entire republic at once. A more tailored approach is required for remote and extreme climates.
She reminded audiences that while concerns about the confidentiality of school nutrition exist, there is a push to form working groups at every school level that include parent participation, with the state maintaining oversight and accountability for the food program.
There have been reports from various regions about schools lacking hot meals, underscoring ongoing challenges in ensuring consistent, nutritious options for students.