WHAT’S AT STAKE

Every year, public institutions across the United States – from school districts to city governments – spend billions of dollars on food purchases.

One of the most effective ways to make large-scale change in the food system is to change how public institutions spend their food dollars. Public institutions have the opportunity to lead the food system change movement while also advancing their public mission. Public food contracts are an expression of a community’s values, and represent a significant opportunity for influencing supply chains.

Imagine if school districts, cities and other large institutions across the country came together to demand a food system built on unified, verifiable standards representing the shared values of local economies, health, worker wellbeing, the environment, and animal welfare. Their collective impact would redirect billions of dollars towards strengthening local economic development, creating new high-quality local jobs, and increasing access to healthy, sustainably produced meals for the vulnerable communities often served by public institutions. We believe it is a model that can revolutionize our food system.