Animal Welfare in Public Procurement: Food Service Standards

Overview of animal welfare in public sector food procurement, including hospitals, schools, and government.

Key Facts

Public sector food procurement represents a significant market lever for welfare improvement
UK Government Buying Standards include animal welfare requirements for catering
Hospital and school food welfare standards vary significantly across jurisdictions
Public procurement welfare requirements can drive supply chain transformation
EU Farm to Fork strategy includes public procurement as a welfare improvement lever

Welfare Considerations

Public sector food procurement is an underutilised lever for animal welfare improvement. Government, hospital, and school food services purchase animal products at scale, providing market power to drive welfare standard improvements across supply chains. UK Government Buying Standards provide a model, but implementation is inconsistent. Making public procurement welfare requirements mandatory and meaningful is an advocacy priority with potential for significant welfare impact.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory higher-welfare standards in public sector food procurement
Campaign for hospital and school food welfare commitments in your area
Support organisations working on public procurement welfare standards