New York State stands on the verge of enacting a transformative policy that will set a national precedent and reshape how the immense power of public food procurement can transform our local, regional, and national food systems.
In Fiscal Year 2022 alone, the federal government directly purchased $9.1 billion worth of food and reimbursed an additional $27 billion to child nutrition providers such as school districts. Municipalities across the United States purchase enormous amounts of food to feed their residents through schools, hospitals, senior centers, shelters, childcare centers, and carceral facilities. In New York, for example, New York City (NYC) serves approximately 220 million meals (while spending half a billion dollars annually on public food, according to the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy), and Buffalo serves over 10 million meals in Buffalo Public Schools per year. The potential to harness this collective purchasing power to build a more just, sustainable, and resilient food system—in New York, the Northeast, and across our nation—is extraordinary.
Yet, municipalities in New York face a significant barrier, one that is echoed in other regions across the country: restrictive procurement laws that limit their ability to fully leverage this power. In most circumstances, municipalities are mandated to consider only the “lowest responsible bidder” in purchasing decisions, preventing local governments from considering critical factors like sustainability, worker welfare, and impact on their local farmers and producers.
Enter the Good Food New York Bill, a bold legislative effort led by the New York State Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) Coalition and the Good Food Buffalo Coalition, with leadership from Senator Michelle Hinchey (Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee) and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. The Good Food New York (NY) Bill, which seeks to amend New York State’s General Municipal Law 103, would enable municipalities to consider broader priorities when determining the "best value."
Inspired by the visionary national efforts of the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP), the bill encourages institutions to consider factors beyond the cheapest bidder, aligning local priorities and existing efforts for the best outcomes. The GFPP equips public institutions with essential tools, technical support, and resources to make this shift to a values-based procurement model. Anchored by six core values held in equal measure—Equity, Accountability, and Transparency; Local and Community-Based Economies; Animal Welfare; Environmental Sustainability; Community Health and Nutrition; and Valued Workforce—the Program aims to hold large vendors accountable to more ethical and just practices while expanding opportunities for small and historically marginalized vendors (including Asian, Black, Latine, Indigenous, and other strategically undervalued farmers and food producers of color) to contract with public agencies.
The Good Food NY Bill is a critical part of a broader movement, building on the values championed by the Good Food Purchasing Program. Across the country, there are over 70 public institutions in 27 cities and counties—representing a combined annual food budget of more than $1.1 billion—enrolled in the Program and driving structural change for a more just and sustainable food system.
Backed by over 100 regional and national food systems experts, the Good Food NY Bill is gaining powerful momentum. Its passage will be a watershed moment for New York, formalizing the promise of values-based procurement statewide. Passage of the bill will allow cities like NYC, Buffalo, and Kingston—already embracing a values-based approach—to officially adopt the Good Food Purchasing Program and maximize its impact, while opening opportunities for other municipalities to align public spending with their food procurement goals. The Good Food NY bill empowers local municipalities and public institutions to consider whether a business’ practices support local economies, environmental sustainability, worker well-being, nutrition, animal welfare, racial equity (by leveraging existing policies that support Minority and Women-Owned Businesses [MWBEs] and socially disadvantaged farmers), and supplier transparency. The bill delivers three key outcomes:
- incentivizes the largest producers and suppliers to implement best practices within the value areas;
- expands institutional contracting opportunities for values-aligned farmers, producers, and suppliers; and
- reinforces Governor Hochul’s commitment to increase food purchasing from New York State farmers and suppliers, as reflected in efforts such as Executive Order 32, the 30% New York State Initiative, and Nourish NY.
The Good Food NY Bill is more than a state-level policy; it sets a national precedent and offers a blueprint for other states to pass similar legislation and codify values-based procurement as the norm. The passage of the Good Food NY bill is already inspiring cities and states across the country who recognize the profound impact of policies that empower municipalities to invest public tax dollars in ways that reflect the values of their communities. This legislation will set a powerful example by demonstrating the power of values-driven procurement to meaningfully transform our food system and promote healthy and thriving communities.
As we stand at this pivotal moment, we call on our national partners and allies to join us to ensure the Good Food NY Bill is signed into law. Thanks to tireless efforts from advocates across the state, the Good Food NY Bill passed in the 2023-24 legislative session and now awaits Governor Hochul’s signature. With your support, we can ensure this landmark legislation becomes law, unlocking the full potential of public food procurement to build a healthier, more equitable, and thriving food system for all.
To add your voice to this critical effort, sign on to pledge your support for the Good Food NY Bill by September 23, 2024, which will be sent to Governor Hochul by October 2024.
Together, we can create a future where our values are reflected in the food that nourishes our communities.
Reach out to Ribka Getachew, Director of the New York Good Food Purchasing Program Campaign at Community Food Advocates, at rgetachew@foodadvocates.org if you have questions about the Good Food NY Bill or want to learn more on how to advance similar advocacy/policy efforts in your state.
