Boston Brings Sustainability, Equity to Its Food Purchasing

by Marie Rodriguez

Buying regionally virtually can make a distinction. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) discovered this in 2012 after adopting a terrific food buying program (GFPP)—coverage that gives institutions a framework for getting local, sustainable, and humanely sourced food. After the faculty district applied for the program, its produce and bread distributor, Gold Star Foods, changed its business practices to satisfy the GFPP guidelines and preserve LAUSD as a purchaser. This created a ripple effect:

Boston Brings Sustainability, Equity to Its Food Purchasing 3

Gold Star introduced sixty-five new jobs and started sourcing its bread from Shepherd’s Grain network, a sustainable agriculture company; Shepherd’s Grain, in turn, accelerated its network of more than forty wheat farms across the West Coast so that it will offer one hundred sixty,000 bushels wanted every 12 months to serve the school district.

When it followed the GFPP seven years ago, LAUSD kicked off a burgeoning motion across the United States of America that has seen a city, county, and several other college districts institute these programs. School districts in Cincinnati, San Francisco, Oakland, and Washington, D.C., have carried out GFPP rules, as has the Cook County Board of Commissioners, representing the Chicagoland vicinity.

When the Boston City Council unanimously exceeded a GFPP ordinance in March, it became the primary New England metropolis to accomplish that. It could jumpstart even more momentum for GFPP implementation. A coalition of more than 20 groups labored to bring Boston’s GFPP ordinance to fruition. However, they discovered a specific champion in Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu, who introduced the legislation to the city council.

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