New project: Regional Pathways on Sustainable Public Procurement for Sustainable Food Systems

With a substantial demand for food from the public sector, sustainable public food procurement (PFP) initiatives possess the potential to significantly influence both food consumption and production patterns, delivering numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits to positively transform food systems and contribute to sustainable and healthy diets. Depending on policy and regulatory frameworks, PFP initiatives play a crucial role in determining the type of food purchased (food security and nutrition), the source of procurement (livelihoods, decent jobs, income), and the production methods employed (environmental sustainability). Notably, school feeding programs, serving as one of the largest and most widespread social safety nets globally with 418 million children benefiting.

This is why a new project led by FAO and UNEP has been launched to bolster the efforts of the One Planet Sustainable Public Procurement and Sustainable Food Systems Programmes. The project will involve crafting a regional pathway on Sustainable Public Procurement for Sustainable Food Systems, paving the way for in-country technical support for the implementation of recommended actions. The project aims to identify prioritized principles for adopting sustainable public procurement practices that integrate social and environmental considerations holistically into public food procurement objectives, processes, and assessments.

To achieve this objective, a comprehensive stocktaking assessment will be conducted, examining sustainable public food procurement policies and practices at a regional level. This assessment will specifically address the integration of environmental considerations, including climate, pollution, and biodiversity goals, alongside with socio-economic considerations, into public food procurement objectives, processes, and assessments. Subsequently, a consultation will be implemented with regional experts and key actors (whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach) to validate and socialize the findings. These results will serve as a foundation for identifying prioritized recommendations for action, leveraging global-level expertise and networks. Results will mark an initial phase in the progression towards advancing commitments for action from all involved parties and providing technical support for the implementation of these recommendations at the national level.

The project will connect the expertise, networks, and resources of existing initiatives. It will build on the activities of the established Sustainable Public Food Procurement Interest Group within the Sustainable Public Procurement Programme and the Working Group dedicated to supporting the Implementation of Food Systems National Pathways in the Sustainable Food Systems Programme.

FAO will lead the project implementation, working closely with an advisory committee composed of members from these groups, as well as engaging the Red de Alimentación Escolar Sostenible (RAES), the LAC regional task force on food systems, and FAO’s regional school feeding programme. Coordination with the School Meals Coalition will be pursued to amplify the impact of project outcomes. This collaboration seeks to integrate these outcomes into their ongoing advocacy and capacity-building activities, multiplying the project's impact.