This paper by EPHA and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe discusses how the EU ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy can contribute to the roll-out of sustainable public food procurement policies.
Public food procurement allows using government buying power to promote health, environmental, socio-economic, animal welfare and other food policy objectives. But are we making the best use of this instrument? And how to accelerate the adoption of sustainability-oriented public food procurement policies across Europe?
The upcoming EU ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy for sustainable food offers a momentous opportunity to recognise and enhance the positive role public food procurement can play in supporting a food systems transition.
6 proposals how the "Farm to Fork" Strategy can support strategic public procurement:
1. Leverage EU funding to support sustainable innovation in national and local public food procurement policies;
2. Create an integrated European Sustainable Public Food Procurement Guide;
3. Establish an EU network of food procurement professionals;
4. Advance the introduction and use of sustainable healthy dietary guidelines;
5. Support the elaboration of new sustainability standards;
6. Launch a process to further update the Public Procurement Directives.