served meals in our schools every day. Together, we have found the courage to challenge the poultry supply chain for healthier chicken products produced by smaller, regional suppliers; engage in sustainable practices that guide us in reducing our use of plastics and reducing food waste in significant quantities throughout our food service facilities and rethinking the process and role of food procurement in institutional settings. Most procurement rules, including federal, state and local are not written for procuring food, and certainly not high quality, local food in an efficient and effective manner. We have long had the mindset in school food procurement that we have to buy food at the lowest price possible. This low- price perspective has been the sticking point in making real change. The sheer volume of food procured in school food service settings makes us the largest restaurant chain in the county and gives us the ability to create the market we desire rather than being subject to the market we have been given. The Alliance districts alone procure almost 1 billion dollars worth of goods annually – that can allow us the ability to be innovative and create change and, in many cases, the leadership of the Alliance districts trickles down to all school food operations across the United States. Improving the processes for school food procurement also comes with responsibility. As school food service operators, we must ask the questions: Would people want to do business with us? Are we good customers exhibiting good business practices? These are critical to the change we are looking
for. If we put out a solicitation, sign documents that we are agreeing to purchase goods and services and then go back on our agreement – we are not good customers. If we ask vendors to deliver goods and then do not pay them for 30-60 days – we are not good customers. Our responsibility in this business agreement is to understand the other side of the business and take care of the relationships that are made, not just demand the cheapest prices. If we can come together with all stakeholders in school food procurement and better understand the whole picture we can become much better customers, receive top quality services, and bring in fresh, high-quality foods, at a reasonable price, to our students nationwide. In 2024, the Alliance put in a lot of hard work to look at procurement systems and see what needs to be done to improve the overall. We have made progress with nationwide trainings, research surveys to find out what is occurring nationwide, and engaging with all stakeholders in the system. Sustainable and transformational change takes time, but we are willing to lead the work that it takes to get to the goal. One thing is for sure: there is a better, more efficient way to procure fresh, wholesome food for our students. If you would like to help us with these initiatives, please go to our website and donate at urbanschoolfoodalliance.org We need your support to keep this momentum going because 2025 – Here We Come – Leading the way to leverage our collective voice to transform school meals.
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LETTER FROM OUR LEADERSHIP
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