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Pt. II: Metro Chicago Institutions Adopting Good Food Standards

School districts, public institutions, higher education institutions, hospitals, and other community-based anchor institutions are adopting Good Food Purchasing Policies all across the country. To see a full list of national cities adopting GFPP, please visit the Good Food Cities website.

In Metro Chicago, there are many institutions that are part of the local Good Food Purchasing Initiative, and more continue to join. Check out the sections below to learn more about the public institutions, hospitals, colleges & universities that are committed to shifting their food spend toward local, healthy, sustainable, fair, and humane food.

 

Public Institutions

Chicago City Council, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago Park District adopted the Good Food Purchasing Policy in 2017, followed by the Cook County Government in 2018. The City of Chicago and Cook County collectively purchase over $118 million in food through public meal programs, and project researchers estimate that over $300 million is purchased when vending, concessions, and special public events are included in the analysis. The following public departments and agencies are currently in the process of implementing GFPP:


Please visit the Map of Local Institutions involved in the Good Food Purchasing Initiative to learn more about each institution’s meal programs, concessions, and food-related special events.

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Hospitals

The Good Food Purchasing Initiative, in partnership with the Illinois Public Health Institute’s Alliance for Health Equity, launched a Good Food in Healthcare Cohort of hospitals and healthcare facilities in summer 2021. This group of hospitals will be exploring good food purchasing strategies and long-term shifts they can make to investing in their local community food system. Cohort members include:

  • Advocate Aurora Health

  • Cook County Health

  • Loyola Medicine

  • Lurie Children’s Hospital

  • NorthShore University Health System (including Swedish Hospital)

  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital

  • Rush University Medical Center 

Please visit the Map of Local Institutions involved in the Good Food Purchasing Initiative to learn more about each institution’s meal programs, concessions, and food-related special events.

Do you work with a health system that is interested in joining the Good Food Purchasing Initiative? Please fill out this form.

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Universities & Colleges

The Good Food Purchasing Initiative encourages higher education institutions to adopt good food purchasing policies and practices, and project partners have been in conversation with several local colleges and universities who are interested in adopting the Good Food Purchasing Policy. The South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium, which is a member of the Cook County Good Food Task Force, has been exploring GFPP adoption with its member colleges. We will be updating information on our website as colleges and universities formally join the Good Food Purchasing Initiative.

Real Food Challenge, a national organization that works with student organizers to shift university purchasing toward Real Food, also works with several different institutions in Metro Chicago. In June 2015, Northwestern University committed to Real Food Challenge’s campus commitment to shift 20% of their budget to Real Food, and Northwestern University Real Food is an active student organization on campus that supports these purchasing shifts. At the national level, Real Food Challenge and the Center for Good Food Purchasing are currently collaborating with several other organizations through the Anchors in Action Alliance to align their standards for “Good Food” and “Real Food.” 


If you work with a college or university that is interested in joining the Good Food Purchasing Initiative, please fill out this form.

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Map of Local Institutions Involved in the Good Food Purchasing Initiative

Please check out the Chicago Food Policy Action Council’s website for a visual map of all the institutions participating in the Good Food Purchasing Initiative of Metro Chicago! The map includes information about which distributors and food service management companies are currently contracted for food with each institution. It also includes contact information and links for farmers and food businesses to learn more.

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