Developing and Implementing Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy

Food Service – An Engine for Food System Change Institutional food purchasing at mission-driven orgs Universities & colleges Hospitals and healthcare Schools

Why a Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy? Farm to college projects initiatives across North America Success in building awareness, educating, rallying support But... Projects have limitations Economic Environmental Institutional

Food Policy: The 85% Solution Benefits of moving from project to policy Institutionalization of initiatives Creates framework to support RFPs, contracts Rationalizes incentives for change of suppliers Addresses some supply chain challenges Provides clear path and sets expectations for ramp-up

The Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy Guidance Project

The Policy Guidance Project 3 Primary Objectives Collect and share sample policies and language Outline policy options and implications for institutions and food system Share insight on development process, implementation and evaluation

Sustainability? Economy Environment Community

Sustainable Agriculture Family Farms & Minority Owned Businesses Labor Conditions Animal Welfare Toxicity – Pesticides & Health Antibiotics & Hormones Soil and Water Conservation Genetically Modified Organisms Locally Grown Foods Wildlife Habitat

Getting Started Developing a Vision Assessing Opportunity Benchmarking Setting goals Communicating expectations Securing Commitments Evaluating Progress Looking to the Future Covering the Policy Bases

Getting Started When is the right time for policy? Start from a point of project success Ensure adequate stakeholder involvement Garner support from institutional leaders and key stakeholders

Developing a Vision What are our priority concerns? Consider the full range of issues Don’t mistake means and ends

Assessing Opportunity Understand the system, capacity limits of institution and partners to establish strategies What is possible? What are the easy wins? Where can we make a real difference? Who do we need to engage?

Benchmarking How do we define success? Adopt definitions Determine how to evaluate claims Identify baseline of how institution is currently performing

Setting Goals Where are we going? How fast can we get there?

Communicating Expectations General communications RFP / RFQ Competitive bid process – weighting sustainability

Securing Commitments Contracting with service providers and suppliers Reporting requirements Rewards Penalties

Assessing Progress Evaluating reports and progress How frequent? Who will be involved?

Looking to the Future Mid-stream course corrections New opportunities New goals

Some Preliminary Guidance Be specific in defining standards Watch out for problematic terms Understand the difference between 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd party claims

Some Preliminary Guidance Think carefully about expectations for monitoring and verification. Who will have responsibility for assessing and reporting compliance?

Some Preliminary Guidance Tie your objectives to the institutional mission Take a holistic approach to policy Ex: don’t separate health and environment concerns

Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy Information Project status report Interviews complete Begun assessing the findings Complete policy guidance document available by end of

Panelist Introductions Loel Solomon, Kaiser Permanente John Turenne, Sustainable Food Systems Jamie Moore, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group

Getting Started Developing a Vision Assessing Opportunity Benchmarking Setting goals Communicating expectations Securing Commitments Evaluating Progress Looking to the Future Covering the Policy Bases