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Committee hears broad support to adopt Good Food Purchasing Program for San Francisco hospitals and jails
Summary
A multi-stakeholder hearing explored adopting the Good Food Purchasing Program across key city departments (hospitals and Sheriff’s Department); presenters described baseline assessments, procurement challenges and examples from SFUSD and Los Angeles; public comment included widespread support from labor, health, environmental and animal-welfare groups.
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on Jan. 24 held a hearing to explore adopting the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) for key San Francisco departments, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda, and the Sheriff’s Department.
Supervisor Feuer framed the hearing and invited Alexa Delwich, co‑founder and executive director of the Center for Good Food Purchasing, to describe the program’s five core values — animal welfare, nutrition, valued workforce, environmental sustainability and local economies — and how institutions are evaluated against baseline standards. Delwich cited Los Angeles and LAUSD as early adopters and said the program has driven measurable procurement changes, including reduced meat and increased local sourcing.
Lauren Heumann of San Francisco Unified School District described SFUSD’s experience: baseline assessments, integrating good‑food criteria into solicitations and managing multiple contracts to influence suppliers. Hospital and jail officials described current steps and constraints: Zuckerberg San Francisco General noted efforts to increase local produce and reduce processed items, while the Sheriff’s Department said language was added to a food-service RFP requiring a baseline assessment within the first 12 months and aiming for a Level-1 GFPP standard by July 2018.
Hundreds of supporters and representatives from nonprofits, unions and advocacy groups testified in favor of the GFPP, including the Teamsters, ASPCA, NRDC, SPUR, Pesticide Action Network, HEAL Food Alliance and local food-policy organizations. Speakers cited potential benefits for worker protections, supply-chain transparency, public-health outcomes and reduced environmental footprint.
Committee members asked about implementation challenges (e.g., group purchasing organizations and vendor data). Delwich said Los Angeles County had navigated similar issues and offered to connect San Francisco staff with LA counterparts. The hearing was held and filed; supervisors said the Office of the Clerk and sponsoring offices will pursue next steps toward baseline assessments and a follow-up Board action.
