How can public procurement positively influence the entire food value chain? A new set of recommendations for procurers and policy makers is now available in relation to this topic.
The recommendations on food value chains and public procurement build upon a global analysis, as well as the podcast series ‘Power of the Public Plate’, which was supported by ICLEI Europe and featured public procurers from eight countries exploring how public procurement can positively influence the food value chain.
The analysis and recommendations can be split into two main areas: cross-cutting recommendations focusing on organisation of the procurement process, and specific recommendations on the aims of the procurement. The cross-cutting recommendations encourage systems thinking and strategic linking to establish multi-level governance arrangements. In this way, the recommendations show how food procurement can be used as a lever to localise Sustainable Development Goals, and/or to explore the links and synergies between different governance levels. On the other hand, the specific recommendations include:
- Locally sourcing fresh and seasonal food items
- Supporting a healthy and nutritious diet
- Enabling fair employment conditions
- Increasing share of plant-rich food and support animal welfare
- Supporting smallholder farmers
- Sourcing organic produce
- Reducing food and packaging waste
These policy and procurement recommendations were outlined by UN One Planet Network in conjunction with ICLEI. For each of the recommendations, ICLEI and the One Planet Network describe potential actions procurers can take and provide examples of their impacts on the value chain. The two organisations believe that there is great potential for procurers to improve food systems, noting that their decisions can affect both consumption and production practices.
Find the ‘Power of the Public Plate’ recommendations here.
Learn more about the ‘Power of the Public Plate podcast’.
Access the ‘Analysis of Public Procurement Impact Across The Food Value Chain’ here.