Policy Briefs: Leveraging Public Food Procurement to Boost Territorial Food Systems

In the framework of the EU-funded COACH project, ICLEI drafted two policy briefs targeted at policymakers:

1) Public Food Procurement as a Powerful Tool to Boost Territorial Food Systems

This policy brief provides recommendations for policymakers at European level on how to achieve these objectives with a focus on three key areas:

1. How to link small-scale farmers with the public plate;
2. School meals as a powerful tool to address social equity (all school children and young people), health (tackling fast-growing child obesity) and education (food culture linked to territory);
3. Enhancing multi-level food governance through national networks of procurers.

EU policymakers have the possibility to implement several actions to build a more inclusive Sustainable Public Sector Food Procurement (SPSFP) and to enable public canteens to be a catalyst of food system transformation. The recommendations identified in this policy brief have the potential to boost a transition toward a more sustainable and inclusive food system, building resilient city food regions.

2) Local and Regional Governments Have a Key Role to Play in the Transition to Territorial Food Systems

Since local and regional governments (LRGs) have the mandate to procure food for public canteens in the EU, the purpose of this policy brief is to provide LRGs with insights on how to connect small-scale farmers with food tendering processes in legally compliant ways.

LRGs can apply more inclusive sustainable food procurement procedures while respecting the existing EU regulatory framework and principles. In doing so, LRGs have the potential to support small-scale farmers and save them from disappearing across Europe.

Policy Brief: Public Food Procurement as a Powerful Tool to Boost Territorial Food Systems

Policy Brief: Local and Regional Governments Have a Key Role to Play in the Transition to Territorial Food Systems