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Sustainable School Food Procurement in Large K—12 Districts: Prospects for Value Chain Partnerships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

David S. Conner
Affiliation:
Department of Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont
Betty T. Izumi
Affiliation:
School of Community Health at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon
Toni Liquori
Affiliation:
School Food FOCUS in New York, New York
Michael W. Hamm
Affiliation:
Sustainable Agriculture in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan

Abstract

Many scholars and activists are interested in the potential for school-based childhood nutrition programs to positively impact the U.S. agri-food system. This paper explores efforts of a national K-12 school food collaborative to procure more sustainably grown and healthful food products. After a review of literature on transaction cost theory and school food procurement, the paper examines the potential of strategic partnerships in a value chain framework to meet procurement change goals. Results from a qualitative study of two participating school districts suggest that partnerships can offer potential solutions to recurring procurement barriers found in previous research.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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