Public commenters urge stronger plant‑based targets in San Francisco’s Good Food Purchasing review

During the Board of Supervisors’ public‑comment period on June 30, multiple speakers urged the city to strengthen an upcoming update to the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP), requesting larger reductions or full divestment from animal‑product purchases in city institutions including hospitals and jails.

Speakers represented preservation, public‑health and animal‑advocacy groups and identified connections among factory farming, antibiotic overuse, climate change and pandemic risk. Several callers — including members of Direct Action Everywhere and health advocates — pressed the board to require a 50% reduction in animal‑product purchases by hospitals and jails or to move toward fully plant‑based procurement in city institutions.

Comments cited scientific analyses linking confinement of animals to emergent zoonotic diseases, and noted the recent financial changes at large dairy suppliers — arguments used by callers to press for an accelerated transition to plant‑based options in institutional food contracts. Some callers flagged dietary health reasons and the disproportionate impact of lactose intolerance in populations served by local hospitals.

Board members did not take immediate action on procurement rules during the meeting but several supervisors present (including Supervisors Walton and Mandelmann) had previously discussed climate‑ and health‑oriented food procurement changes; speakers urged the Rules Committee to adopt stronger targets when the GFPP update is considered at committee (a Rules Committee date was mentioned by callers as upcoming).

Ending: Public commenters urged the board to adopt a more ambitious GFPP update that would sharply reduce or eliminate animal‑product purchasing in city hospitals and jails to address climate, public health and animal‑welfare concerns; supervisors will consider the program’s rulemaking in committee.