The contributions of Public Food Procurement in the construction of Sustainable Food Systems: a methodological proposal

Abstract The importance of Public Food Procurement (PFP) in promoting Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) is widely recognised. However, few studies have addressed the evaluation of these purchases at a local level (municipality), taking into account the particularities of organizations and the dimensions of SFS. This study proposes a methodology to assess public food procurement in the municipality of São Luís (Maranhão, Brazil), based on five dimensions of SFS: food and nutritional security, sociocultural, economic, environmental and food democracy. The method involves constructing metrics to assess 12 categories and 48 indicators, which are combined to obtain an overall score (0-100). The aim is to check how close public food procurement is to SFS. The survey focused on 2019 and assessed public organizations in different sectors (education, health, security and social assistance) and management models (concession or self-management). In general, the scores were less than ideal for all categories and dimensions. The performance of the organizations was not linked to the management model or the sector, but rather to the way in which the public authorities conducted procurement, considering the legislation in force and the players involved.