BP 2.8 Sustainable Food: District/School purchases food with green features such as organic, fair trade, or locally grown.

About

Sustainable food procurement connects Minnesota schools to local farms and ethical supply chains, ensuring meals that support student health and environmental stewardship. The MDE Farm to School & Early Care Initiatives and MDA Farm to School Grant Programs help districts source locally grown foods, strengthening community agriculture and reducing carbon emissions (Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2024). Nationally, USDA’s Farm to School Procurement Guide and Organic Program Regulations (7 CFR Part 205) establish standards for purchasing organic and sustainably produced foods (USDA, 2024a). Integrating Fair Trade Certified products further ensures ethical labor practices and global sustainability (Fair Trade USA, 2024). Together, these frameworks advance Minnesota’s vision for healthy, equitable, and environmentally responsible school nutrition. 

Vision and Benefits

A Minnesota school excelling in sustainable food practices sources meals that are fresh, local, organic, and ethically produced. Cafeterias feature seasonal menus highlighting Minnesota farms, and procurement policies prioritize USDA‑certified organic and Fair Trade Certified products. Nutrition staff collaborates with local producers through MDA’s Full Tray Grant program, while Green Teams engage students in learning about food systems and sustainability. The result is a transparent, community‑connected food program that models environmental responsibility and supports student well‑being (MDE, 2024; USDA, 2024b).

Sustainable food purchasing improves student nutrition, reduces environmental impact, and strengthens local economies. Schools benefit from fresher ingredients, reduced transportation emissions, and compliance with USDA organic and procurement standards. Minnesota’s Farm to School grants provide financial support for local sourcing, while Fair Trade Certified products promote global equity and ethical labor practices (MDA, 2024; Fair Trade USA, 2024). These efforts enhance community partnerships, educational opportunities, and the school’s reputation as a leader in sustainability.

Implement Best Practice Actions in a Project

• Select Best Practice Actions (BPAs) to work on and complete. 

• Review the list of actions that can be taken to shift your district or school toward BPNAME. Start by documenting the practices already being done at the school. Choose the practices that best fit the school's opportunities and other considerations.

A. Assessment and Planning Actions 

Creating a management plan will help you stay organized, set informed goals, and prioritize objectives. Management plans offer numerous benefits, including increased efficiency and productivity by providing schools with the tools to manage funds and resources effectively, define evaluation criteria, and develop contingency plans. Trust us, you won’t regret it! 

A.1 Conduct Baseline Assessment 

• Conduct a baseline assessment of existing conditions and practices specific to Sustainable Food.  

A.2 Establish Management Team 

• Allocate time and responsibilities to a person or team to regularly maintain data, management systems, and records.

A.3 Evaluate Current Food Purchasing Practices

• Assess how much of the school’s food budget includes local, organic, or Fair Trade Certified products.
  Resource: Farm to School & Early Care Initiatives

A.4 Develop a Sustainable Procurement Plan

• Set goals for increasing local, organic, and ethically sourced foods in school meals.
  Resource: Farm to School Procurement Guide (PDF)

A.5 Identify Local Producers and Partners

• Map regional farms and distributors eligible for MDA Farm to School grants.

Resource: Farm to School & Early Care Programs 

B. Overall Performance and Impact Actions

B.1 Establish a Performance Monitoring Practice with Baseline

• Looking at performance metrics for this best practice that are used at the school and other potential metrics, establish a baseline reference year and a regular practice (at least yearly) to monitor the performance of this best practice.

Performance Metrics to Consider:

• % of total food budget spent on local foods

• # of Minnesota farms or vendors partnered with

• % of menu items containing organic ingredients

• % of Fair Trade Certified products used annually

B.2 Track and Improve Performance

• Using the established baseline and performance monitoring practices, track performance improvements over time relative to baseline use. Where possible, identify the relationship between actions and overall impact improvements. 

B.3 Complete Performance Planning 

• Conduct an analysis of current performance and the impacts and set a strategic plan for how to transition the school over time to bold goals for ideal performance and identify the direct and indirect impacts considering environmental impacts, cost impacts, health, and educational benefits.
  
  

B.4  Implement Vision Backcasting

• Gather the green team and representatives from staff, students, the community, and resource organizations to imagine how improved Sustainable Food could help us reach our fully sustainable vision for the district and its schools. Make this scenario engaging with sketches or models. Engage youth. 

B.5 Track Sustainable Food Purchasing Metrics

• Monitor the percentage of food purchased that is local, organic, or Fair Trade Certified.
  Resource: Farm to School Full Tray Grant

B.6 Evaluate Menu Integration and Student Feedback

• Assess how often sustainable foods appear on menus and gather student input.
  Resource: Farm to School Grant Recipients Announcement

B.7 Report Annual Sustainability Progress

• Document local sourcing, organic purchasing, and Fair Trade integration.

Resource: Farm to School & Early Care Initiatives 

C. Implementation Actions

C.1 Purchase Locally Grown Foods

• Prioritize Minnesota‑grown produce, dairy, and grains through MDA grant programs.
  Resource: Farm to School Full Tray Grant

C.2 Integrate USDA‑Certified Organic Foods

• Increase use of products meeting USDA Organic Seal standards.
  Resource: The Organic Seal

C.3 Select Fair Trade Certified Products

• Choose Fair Trade Certified coffee, cocoa, and other ethically sourced items.
  Resource: What We Certify

C.4 Promote Seasonal and Educational Menus

• Feature seasonal foods and integrate sustainability lessons into meal programs.

Resource: Farm to School Procurement Guide (PDF) 

D. Youth Club Actions

D.1 Lead Local Food Awareness Campaigns

• Highlight Minnesota‑grown foods through posters, announcements, or taste tests.

Online Resources:

• See links in text above for resources relevant to specific actions, also see resources consulted or cited for sources.