Food procurement bill would boost sustainability, equity

Our global food system is still reeling from the impacts of the COVID -19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate-related weather extremes. The need to support strong, local and sustainable food supply chains has

Ribka Getachew is director of the NY Good Food Purchasing Program Campaign. Taylor Pate is its manager. never been more urgent.

Every year, New York state’s municipalities spend millions on institutional food — supplying meals to students, hospital patients, shelter residents, seniors, incarcerated individuals and more. That means that our public agencies, fueled by our tax dollars, have tremendous power to influence our local food systems. By directing funds towards farmers and producers who embody values like supporting local economies, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, proper nutrition, supplier transparency, fair labor practices and racial equity, we can move New York state toward a more sustainable and equitable food economy.

The Good Food NY Bill (S.6955/A.7264) aims to do exactly that. The bill would empower cities across the state to purchase food from suppliers that meet sustainability, labor or other values, rather than simply binding them to purchase food at the lowest cost.

New York’s antiquated food procurement law does not reflect or reward the innovations that have been made in farming and food production. Further, many small-scale farmers and food producers are at a competitive disadvantage compared with the largest corporations and producers in other states, who are able to sell products at cheaper prices. This bill would promote farmers’ long-term stability by providing public agencies and municipalities with an established mandate to purchase from local and more eco-friendly vendors as much as possible.

What’s more, food and agriculture are two of the most racially inequitable economic sectors, both nationally and on the state level. The Good Food NY Bill would align with the state’s commitment to addressing racial disparities: Indeed, by giving agencies the flexibility to

buy more food at a slightly higher cost from regional farms, the bill would expand access to institutional markets for smaller-scale farmers and producers who are Black, Indigenous or people of color, who historically have had fewer opportunities to access these contracts.

The good news is that we have begun to make progress toward values-based food procurement. For example, Gov. Kathy Hochul has created a special working committee to engage and support local farmers. And discussions there with local farms, producers and other agriculture stakeholders reveal a strong desire to ramp up public contracts with schools and other state-funded institutions. The Good Food NY Bill would help advance and implement these goals.

It’s time for New York to make strengthening our local food systems and supporting value-aligned food producers a priority. Legislators, we’re counting on you to secure a brighter food future by voting yes on the Good Food NY Bill.