This report presents a summary and synthesis of the methods and results of WP6.3, evaluating the environmental, economic and social impacts of different models of Public Sector Food Procurement (PSFP) in a school context (more details are provided in each of the Country Reports comprising D6.3). The report builds on insights gained from D6.1 (report on contract tendering and award procedures for PSFP in European countries), and also integrates key findings from D6.2 (nutritional impact of PSFP models, including the role of plate waste). Significant resources are spent in public procurement, and there are on-going debates as to how the sustainability outcomes of this sector may be enhanced, including for rural territories. EU Procurement Directive 2016/24 (EC, 2014) makes provisions to encourage more flexible, open and transparent contract tendering processes, to promote economic and social benefits from public procurement, as well as positive environmental outcomes (also covered by Green Public Procurement (GPP) advice (EC, 2016). Such policies respond to calls for PSFP to adopt alternative models (e.g greater use of local sourcing and/or organic produce), as these may be linked to enhanced sustainability outcomes. To date, however, the environmental, economic and social outcomes of different models of PSFP have yet to be examined systematically. The WP6.3 research reported here aimed to fill this gap.

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