“The aggregated demand that came out of Los Angeles is one thing, but when you can take that same demand a replicate a fairly similar demand in Austin, in San Francisco, in Oakland, in Minneapolis – all of the sudden the total power of that process is really a different ballgame.”
Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager, City of Austin

THE GOOD FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAM: TOWARD A GOOD FOOD FUTURE

We are pleased to share The Good Food Purchasing Program: Toward a Good Food Future, a multimedia report providing an overview of our shared vision and an introduction to how the Program works. The report highlights many of the accomplishments and innovations of our partners—institutions, coalitions, policy champions, national partners, good food suppliers, and funders—who have been part of this growing movement over the past eight years.

MEASURING IMPACT

LOCAL ECONOMIES

LOCAL SUPPLY CHAINS

  • Over the past six years, institutions enrolled in the Good Food Purchasing Program have nearly doubled their annual spend—from 14.4 percent to 22.2 percent—on foods supporting diverse, family and cooperatively owned, small and mid-sized agricultural and food processing operations within the local area or region.

A VALUED WORKFORCE

GOOD JOB CREATION

  • Over the past six years, institutions have directed $20 million toward suppliers with union wages and worker protections supported the creation of new jobs, and increased efforts to ensure safe and healthy working conditions and fair compensation for all food chain workers and producers from production to consumption through participation in the Good Food Purchasing Program.

NUTRITION & HEALTH

HEALTHIER, REFORMULATED PRODUCTS

  • Participating institutions are currently purchasing 42 percent whole foods or minimally processed foods, with a commitment to increasing the total amount by 25 percent in five years. To date, institutions have collectively increased their purchase of whole and minimally processed food items by about 5 percent and are on track to meet this target.
  • While 75 percent of the meat institutions currently purchase is processed or red meat, they have committed to reducing the amount of processed and red meat they purchase by 5 percent per year.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

  • In the past six years, institutions have shifted $4.3 million in aggregate spend toward producers that:

– reduce or eliminate synthetic pesticides and fertilizers;
– avoid the use of hormones, routine antibiotics and genetic engineering;
– conserve and regenerate soil and water;
– protect wildlife habitats and biodiversity; and
– reduce energy and water consumption, food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

  • This represents an increase of over 250% in public dollars redirected toward producers and practices that reinforce our vision.

ANIMAL WELFARE

LESS MEAT, BETTER MEAT

  • In the past six years, institutions enrolled in the Program have increased their animal welfare purchases by 50 percent through efforts to source from producers that provide healthy and humane conditions for farm animals.