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| | | | | | | Now Hiring:
Institutional Impact Manager, Michigan |
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| The Center for Good Food Purchasing is seeking an Institutional Impact Manager, Michigan, to serve as a primary liaison with Michigan institutions implementing Good Food Purchasing strategies and work with them to develop short and long-term implementation strategies to improve their performance within two years. The Institutional Impact Manager will provide project management for the Center’s new statewide initiative in Michigan and support building a productive changemaking ecosystem in collaboration with the Center’s Engagement department. |
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| | Farm Bill Extension, USDA Funding Bill Underwhelm |
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| After weeks of uncertainty, Congress unveiled a one-year extension of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 as well as the fiscal year 2026 agriculture appropriations bill, a package that, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), could undermine conservation efforts and limit support for family farmers.
“After weeks of uncertainty, legislation unveiled over the [Nov. 8] weekend opts to needlessly restrict farmers’ ability to reduce input costs, invest in clean water, and build healthy soil,” said Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director. “The FY2026 agriculture appropriations bill cuts nearly $100 million in support for conservation technical assistance, and the proposed farm bill extension fails to extend conservation program payment limits. Taken together, these bills make it harder for a wide variety of family farmers to enhance their productivity and protect natural resources, and bias federal conservation programs towards serving the largest operations first and foremost.”
For more insight on implications of the extension and agriculture appropriations bill, see NSAC’s Nov. 10, 2025, release. |
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| | | | | | New Report Finds USDA Food Purchasing Still Favors Industrial Agriculture, Concentrates Power Among a Few Corporations |
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| A report released Nov. 19 by Friends of the Earth, Feeding Concentration: How USDA’s Commodity Food Purchasing Favors Industrial Agriculture, analyzes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $4.8 billion in food procurement for Fiscal Year 2024. The report finds that nearly half of all USDA food spending went to just 25 companies, with poultry giant Tyson Foods receiving the largest share despite a history of workplace safety, labor, environmental, and food safety concerns.
“This report builds on our 2023 analysis of federal food procurement and shows that little has changed,” said Chloë Waterman, a senior program manager at Friends of the Earth and the lead author of the report. “USDA’s food purchasing decisions directly shape what ends up on the plates of millions of children, families, and seniors. By directing so much spending to just a few large corporations, USDA is missing opportunities to support healthier food and a more diverse, resilient agricultural system.” |
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| | Check our Policy Page for updates on issues
related to Good Food policies and legislation. |
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| | Inside the GFPP Ecosystem: Updates, New Resources & Upcoming Events |
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| Food Procurement Policies Can Promote Healthier, More Resilient Cities |
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| By Michael Nutter
Next City, Nov. 12, 2025 |
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| | Photo credit: Richard R / Unsplash via Next City |
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| “Op-ed: In August, Chicago set new nutrition standards for all food and beverages sold or served on city property. It's one of a growing number of major cities to have established healthy food purchasing policies. |
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| “Cities across the U.S. spend significant amounts of taxpayer dollars on food each year to feed millions of residents through public facilities such as schools, jails, shelters, and municipal buildings. For example, New York City has a $500 million food budget and serves over 219 million meals and snacks each year, while Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, together have been estimated to spend over $300 million annually on food procurement. For comparison, the State of Illinois spends $12.5 billion yearly to treat chronic disease.
“The food offered in city facilities tends to be unhealthy — high in salt, sugar and saturated fat — while nutritious options remain scarce, as demonstrated by evaluations of nutrition standards policies in Boston and Philadelphia. By using their purchasing power strategically to create healthier food environments, cities can improve community well-being and support residents in making healthier choices.” |
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| | Congratulations to Fullwell on a big policy win in San Francisco! |
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| | Via Fullwell on LinkedIn:
”We're grateful that our local leaders have affirmed the value of nutritious, local, fair, and sustainable food by committing to participating in the Good Food Purchasing Program for the next ten years!” |
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| “The City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance this fall extending Good Food Purchasing in the Department of Public Health and the Sheriff’s Department for City hospitals and jails through 2035. The ordinance also incorporates new transparency requirements. Congrats San Francisco on putting our public dollars to work buying food that is good for everyone in our community!” |
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| | Cultivating Community: Why Values-Based Food Purchasing Matters |
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| New York's Good Food Purchasing Program coalition, led by Community Food Advocates and the Good Food Buffalo Coalition, released a video produced by Real Food Media with support from Center for Science in the Public Interest to document the ways GFPP has positive impacts for farmers across New York State. |
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| | “Across New York, farmers are growing more than food. They’re growing relationships, strong local economies, and the resilience our communities need in the face of climate disruption, fragile global supply chains, and abrupt federal funding cuts and policy changes.
“Existing barriers make it nearly impossible for nearby schools, hospitals, and public institutions to buy from the farms in their area. Lowest-bidder mandates and long-distance contracts with large institutional vendors prevent public dollars from supporting local communities and sustaining small and mid-sized farms.
“Through values-based procurement, public institutions can direct their food budgets in ways that reflect our shared values: strong local economies, fair labor practices, environmental sustainability, community health, and animal welfare.
“Our public food dollars should be accountable to our communities, not just the cheapest bidder.” |
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| Credit and special thanks to our Good Food Purchasing Program partners Community Food Advocates, Good Food Buffalo Coalition, and New York State Good Food Purchasing Program Coalition. Produced with support from Center for Science in the Public Interest. |
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| | | | “Are you looking for land opportunities? Or are you thinking about selling or leasing your land? 🌱
“California FarmLink’s Land Portal is a bilingual community that helps landseekers and landholders connect and secure land.
“Whether you are a landseeker looking for the next land opportunity or a landholder ready to share your land and/or business opportunity, the Land Portal makes it easy to connect, collaborate, and explore new possibilities.
“Ready to take the next step in your land journey? Register to the Land Portal today and start connecting. 🤝” |
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| | Credit: @commonwealthkitchenboston on Instagram |
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| | “✨ We’re so excited to be part of something BIG for Boston! CommonWealth Kitchen is teaming up with @bostonschools to bring students field fritters, pesto, tikka masala sauce, jerk sauce, and arepas made right here by our amazing member businesses.
“🥗 This fall, we’re launching a pilot project to blend local ingredients with @usdagov commodity foods — creating more delicious, sustainable school meals!
“🥳 And huge congrats to BPS for earning Silver Status from the @center4goodfood for their commitment to fresh, local, and nutritious meals.” |
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| | | | Call for Speakers: 21st Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit Deadline for submissions: Dec. 5 |
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| The Chicago Food Policy Action Council is accepting proposals for virtual and in-person sessions for the 21st Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit, taking place March 11–13, 2026. This year’s theme — We Build This Table Together: Reclaiming Food, Land & Power —calls for dynamic, innovative programming that reflects our mission and uplifts community-led solutions. Speaker stipends are available. Proposals should clearly indicate preferred format (virtual or in-person) and align with one or more of this year’s Summit tracks: Reclaim the Roots: Growing Power from Land & Legacy Nourishing Resistance: Paths to Community Power Feeding the Fight: Policy, Power & Collective Action Across Borders & Generations: Migration as Movement, Labor & Survival
This application at bit.ly/21CFJSRFP is designed to gather all the details needed to host your session. Your responses will be used directly in the Summit program, so please take your time and provide as much detail as possible to support evaluation of your proposal.
Deadline for submissions is December 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM CT. If you need an extension, please email summit@chicagofoodpolicy.com. Application review will begin in early December, and late submissions will be considered with prior notice. |
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