Understanding the Benefits of Local Food Procurement: Working with the Public and Private Sector

The recently completed Serving up Local projects assessed opportunities to increase the purchase of local food in regionally managed long-term care homes in the Golden Horseshoe. These studies demonstrated that setting a local food purchasing priority is achievable, that purchasing data is readily available to participants and most importantly, that locally produced and/or processed foods do not increase food purchasing costs. This presentation will provide an update on the Serving Up Local KTT grant, highlighting new connections with the public and private sectors and efforts to increase local food procurement across the province. Through broad dissemination of the initial research methodology, the benefits of purchasing locally produced and/or processed foods will be discussed and new connections with long-term care homes, provincial jails and the mines in northern Ontario will be shared. Opportunities to further disseminate the research methodology and participate in KTT activities will also be discussed.