NEWS On 24 February, researchers and societal stakeholders convened in Umeå to explore how public procurement can be strategically leveraged to create more sustainable, resilient, and locally rooted meal systems. Drawing on perspectives from Canada and Sweden, the seminar examined the influence of public sector purchasing decisions on health, regional development, and environmental outcomes throughout the entire food supply chain.
Professor Laure Saulais, Université Laval, Canada.
Image Armando Perez-Cueto.The seminar Can we make it local? The Challenges of Public Meal Procurement in Canada and Sweden was organised by the Arctic Six Chair in Sustainable Food Transitions at the Arctic Centre, in collaboration with NorthFood, and hosted by the Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science.
Opening the seminar, Professor Armando Perez-Cueto emphasised that public procurement should not be seen as an administrative function, but as a strategic policy instrument:
“Public procurement is a powerful lever in the food system. The choices made here influence not only what ends up on the plate, but also public health, local economies and the sustainability of entire regions.”
His introduction framed procurement as a key governance tool with the potential to accelerate sustainable food transitions—particularly in regions where public meals represent a significant share of total food consumption.
The keynote speaker, Professor Laure Saulais, presented From procurement to meals: Local sourcing, food quality, and sustainability in Quebec’s healthcare sector. Drawing on empirical experiences from Quebec, she illustrated how ambitions to increase local sourcing must navigate regulatory frameworks, market structures and competing policy goals.
Public procurement is a powerful lever in the food system.
Saulais also emphasised that increasing local sourcing often requires the development of alternative supply channels that operate alongside conventional large-scale distribution systems. Such channels do not emerge automatically through policy alone—they depend on long-term relationships, trust, and active coordination between producers, public buyers and intermediaries. In this sense, making food “local” is as much a relational and organisational challenge as it is a regulatory one.
A central theme of her talk was the complexity of the concept “local.” While often associated with geographical proximity, it can also reflect political priorities, identity-building or economic strategy. These different interpretations shape procurement criteria and ultimately influence food quality, supplier diversity and sustainability performance.
The seminar brought together Indigenous elders, academics, farmer representatives, civil society actors, and municipal and regional representatives. The broad participation enriched the discussion and underscored that aligning procurement with sustainability goals requires dialogue across sectors, governance levels and knowledge systems.
By connecting research insights with practical experience, the seminar highlighted both the challenges and the transformative potential of public meal procurement in advancing sustainable food systems.
