In June, the Illinois state legislature adopted a joint resolution creating the Illinois Good Food Purchasing Policy Task Force. The task force is charged with studying the state’s food procurement process to provide recommendations on how it can be improved using the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) as a model.
The GFPP, first developed by the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, is a framework created to help major institutions use their vast purchasing power to promote five core values: animal welfare, nutrition, valued workforce, local economies, and environmental sustainability. AWI was instrumental in crafting the animal welfare section of the Good Food Purchasing Standards.
While cities and local school districts across the country have already adopted the program and are working toward implementation, Illinois is the first state to seek implementation of the GFPP. According to the Center for Good Food Purchasing, 43 enrolled institutions and coalitions in 16 cities across the country have committed to the GFPP.