Purchasing Power

The document details the positive outcomes of institutional food procurement policies, showing that local sourcing increases regional economic output and job creation. It highlights environmental benefits, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and water use through meat reduction, and projects significant health improvements—including lower sodium intake and reduced risks of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer—for students and adults in Los Angeles County. Additionally, it analyzes the increasing availability of antibiotic-free chicken in the US supply chain and compares the cost of procuring such meat against the high medical costs of treating antibiotic-resistant infections.

• Local food procurement by institutions generates significant economic multipliers. In Vermont, a one-dollar increase in local purchasing by hospitals generates between $0.78 and $1.27 in the local economy, while in Oregon, school district spending on local foods can lead to an overall increase of $2.10 to $2.40 to the economy.
• Reducing meat in institutional menus significantly lowers environmental footprints. Four hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area reduced meat purchases by 28%, resulting in a total of over 1,000 tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions saved annually. Similarly, the Oakland Unified School District reduced its carbon footprint by 14% and saved 42 million gallons of water per year by reducing meat purchases by 30%.
• The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) achieved a 22% annual reduction in its carbon footprint and a 22.88% reduction in annual water use between the 2012-2013 and 2014-2015 periods, saving 8.99 million kg of CO2 and 1.16 billion gallons of water.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2017). Purchasing Power. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/purchasing-power-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Purchasing Power. 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/purchasing-power-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Purchasing Power |date=November 2017 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/purchasing-power-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2017purchasing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Purchasing Power}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/purchasing-power-appendices-ucs-2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }