Local Food Purchasing Program in the United States
This testimony is part of the CSIPM call for testimonies on Resilient Food Systems, contributing to the CFS policy process.
Where is this experience is taking place?
Minnesota, US, but also in other US states. State funds purchase from smallholder farmers and redistribute to food banks and school meal programs. The contracts are managed by the school district, and food hubs that aggregate orders. This also allows farmers to bid on contract that would otherwise be outside of their scale. Often a single small-scale farmer doesn’t produce enough to establish a sales contract with a school district.
What actions or practices have contributed to building resilience?
Increasing local purchasing for school meals and food banks increases the affordabiltiy and availability of healthy food by giving food banks more fresh, healthy options. Smallholder farmers are given a reliable market for their crops, especially excess crop that might otherwise go to waste due to poor market connectivity.
Why is it important to support practices such as the one you are sharing?
Improving nutrition in school meals and nutrition access in food banks while simultaneously economically supporting small farmers.
What should policymakers learn from this experience?
Resilient food systems must link producers to providing healthy nutritious food to the most vulnerable without creating an economic burden on either one. This policy is a flagship example of that.