THE PROGRAM
The Good Food Purchasing Program provides a metric based, flexible framework that encourages large institutions to direct their buying power toward five core values: local economies, environmental sustainability, valued workforce, animal welfare and nutrition. The Good Food Purchasing Program is the first procurement model to support these food system values in equal measure.
THE GOOD FOOD PURCHASING VALUES
LOCAL ECONOMIES
VISION
Support diverse, family and cooperatively owned, small and mid-sized agricultural and food processing operations within the local area or region.
STANDARDS DEFINITION
The Local Economies definition considers a combination of farm size (by acreage as per the USDA definition in the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture), ownership type, and farm distance from purchasing institutions (based on driving distance).
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
VISION
Source from producers that employ sustainable production systems to reduce or eliminate synthetic pesticides and fertilizers; avoid the use of hormones, routine antibiotics and genetic engineering; conserve and regenerate soil and water; protect and enhance wildlife habitats and biodiversity; and reduce on-farm energy and water consumption, food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Reduce menu items that have high carbon and water footprints, using strategies such as plant forward menus, which feature smaller portions of animal proteins in a supporting role.
STANDARDS DEFINITION
Certifications in the Good Food Purchasing Standards include:
VALUED WORKFORCE
VISION
Ensure that food suppliers respect workers’ rights to freedom of association and to bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions, free from retaliation.
STANDARDS DEFINITION
The baseline for compliance in the Valued Workforce category is compliance with basic labor laws by institution, vendor(s) and all suppliers for the institution. Other qualifying certifications and product claims include:
ANIMAL WELFARE
VISION
If animal products are a featured menu item, source from producers that provide healthy and humane conditions for farm animals.
STANDARDS DEFINITION
Certifications in the Good Food Purchasing Standards include:
NUTRITION
VISION
Promote health and well-being by offering generous portions of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and minimally processed foods, while reducing salt, added sugars, saturated fats, and red meat consumption and eliminating artificial additives.
Improving equity, affordability, accessibility, and consumption of high quality culturally relevant Good Food in all communities is central to our focus on advancing Good Food purchasing practices.
STANDARDS DEFINITION
Checklist that includes both procurement-oriented targets (such as purchasing seasonally, purchasing whole rather than processed ingredients, and purchasing leaner meats) as well as food service environment targets (such as eliminating the use of deep frying, highlighting local food with signage, or replacing unhealthy items with healthy items near checkout points and registers).
WHY PROCUREMENT
Changing the food system means creating a system based on values. It means understanding relationships between distributors, vendors, and their suppliers and increasing transparency along the entire supply chain.
Every year, public institutions across the United States – from school districts to city governments – spend billions of dollars on food purchases. They have the opportunity to lead the movement for food system change and express their community’s values while influencing supply chains.
INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT
The Program provides a metric based, flexible framework that encourages large institutions to direct their buying power toward five core values. Through the Program, the Center works with institutions to establish supply chain transparency from farm to fork, evaluate how current purchasing practices align with the Good Food Purchasing Standards, assist with goal setting, measure progress, and celebrate institutional successes in shifting towards a values-based purchasing model. The Center issues a Good Food Provider verification seal to participating institutions that meet baseline requirements across the five value categories. The core components of adoption are:
STANDARDS
REPORTING
VERIFICATION
TRANSPARENCY
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
Once an institution adopts the Good Food Purchasing Policy, it works with the Center for Good Food Purchasing and local lead partner organization to implement the Good Food Purchasing Program. Implementation involves four key steps:
THE GOOD FOOD PURCHASING STANDARDS
The Center for Good Food Purchasing provides annual independent analysis of an institution’s purchasing data and provides a verification seal with individualized, branded materials to institutions that meet baseline requirements across the five value categories.
Qualifying criteria, including third party certifications, referenced in the Good Food Purchasing Standards are carefully considered by a panel of issue area experts and reviewers. To be included, certifications are ranked according to rigor, auditing process, and alignment with the Program’s vision for change.
The Good Food Purchasing Standards undergo a regular review and update process that includes extensive stakeholder outreach and input.
GOOD FOOD PURCHASING STANDARDS 2.0 – SEPTEMBER 2017 UPDATE
The first regular review of the Standards was completed in September 2017.
- Contributors: these panelists contributed sustained guidance and direction during the development of the Good Food Purchasing Standards, Version 2.0.
- Reviewers: these panelists provided invaluable input on a draft of the Good Food Purchasing Standards, Version 2.0.
- Process: The Standards update process began in March 2016 and concluded in July 2017. The update was released in September 2017.
- Summary of Updates: See Structure & Scoring Updates for changes to the scoring system. See Value Category Updates for changes within the categories of Local Economies, Environmental Sustainability, Valued Workforce, Animal Welfare, and Nutrition.
For more information or to receive a copy of the Good Food Purchasing Standards, please email Colleen McKinney (cmckinney@goodfoodpurchasing.org).
VERIFICATION & SCORING
Analysis is based off of the tiered, points-based system described in the Good Food Purchasing Standards. Key features of the scoring system include:
BASELINE STANDARD
Each of the five value categories has a baseline standard. To become a Good Food Provider, an institution must meet at least the baseline (equal to one point) in each of the five values.
CERTIFICATION-BASED
Standards are based off of third party certifications that have been identified as meaningful and ranked by national experts in each category.
FLEXIBLE, TIERED POINT SYSTEM
More points are awarded for achievement at higher levels in each category, allowing institutions to raise their score by emphasizing their high priority categories.
AGGREGATION OF POINTS AND STAR RATING
Points earned in each category are added together to determine overall number of points earned. A star rating is awarded.
