The Coller Foundation’s Coller Animal Law Forum (CALF) has collaborated with the Humane League to publish a factsheet outlining how public procurement policies could steer the food system away from intensive animal agriculture.
Public procurement involves the purchasing of goods or services for a local government or agency, usually through a bidding process. The successful vendor enters into a contractual agreement with the public administration, which has to follow public procurement rules and guidelines.
These guidelines could be used to stimulate the supply of more humane and sustainable foods, reducing reliance on animal products. Since public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and prisons account for a significant share of demand, this could impact the entire food system.
Currently, sustainable and humane standards are uncommon in public procurement guidelines. Where they do exist, they are usually in the form of a voluntary good practices list, meaning they are vague and non-mandatory. However, it is not unprecedented for public administrations to give a preference to businesses that have specific characteristics, such as being owned by veterans, paying certain wages, using sustainable practices, or manufacturing within the state. At least 45 US states have these types of procurement policies.
Greener by default
The factsheet notes that Connecticut, Washington DC, and Berkeley all encourage limiting emissions from the agri-food sector in their public procurement policies. However, the authors warn that this may lead to a shift from beef consumption to pork, poultry, and fish, rather than a transition towards more plant-based diets. Consequently, they recommend that public procurement policies should include a minimum proportion of plant-based food, along with language pointing to a decrease in animal product consumption.
A good example is New York City’s Greener by Default pilot program for hospitals, where plant-based food is the default option for patients. This program proved hugely successful when first introduced, with over half of patients opting for the plant-based option and 95% saying they were satisfied with their choice. The city also introduced a Vegan Fridays initiative at public schools in 2022 to provide healthier options for children.
However, the factsheet acknowledges that governments often struggle to find bidders due to slow and low pay, meaning that introducing additional requirements could deter vendors from bidding at all. Consequently, advocates for a sustainable food system will need to collaborate with vendors to help them develop their practices and offer more plant-based food.
“Standards in the public procurement policies must be specific enough to produce tangible effects on the vendors’ offers, and ultimately on the type of food that will be offered to public service users,” says the factsheet. “Additionally, these standards should also be binding, and so should be enacted by way of a legal act or administrative act (such as an executive order) before changing the policy, as opposed to resolutions, which are not binding.”
