Local food procurement by hospitals: a scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundLocal food procurement by hospitals is gaining traction as governments and advocacy groups seek to influence food systems and strengthen local communities, but there is little empirical evidence as to its practical application or efficacy. The aims of this review were to describe the extent, range and nature of local food procurement models in healthcare foodservices, and to understand the barriers and enablers to implementation, including from the perspective of stakeholders across the supply chain.MethodA scoping review was conducted following the protocol published in the Open Science Framework Registration (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/T3AX2). Five electronic databases were searched for the following concepts: ‘hospital foodservice’, ‘local food procurement practices’, ‘the extent, range and nature’ and/or ‘the barriers and enablers of procurement’. Eligible peer‐reviewed original research published in English from the year 2000 was included following a two‐step selection process.ResultsThe final library included nine studies. Most studies (7 of 9) were from the United States. Three studies used survey methods and reported high rates (58%–91%) of US hospital participation in local food procurement. Studies offered minimal description of local procurement models, but two models, conventional (‘on‐contract’) or off‐contract, were typically used. Barriers to local food procurement included restricted access to suitable local food supply, limited kitchen resources and inadequate technology to trace local food purchase thereby limiting evaluation capabilities. Enablers included organisational support, passionate champions and opportunistic, incremental change.ConclusionThere is a paucity of peer‐reviewed studies describing local food procurement by hospitals. Details of local food procurement models were generally lacking: categorisable as either purchases made ‘on‐contract’ via conventional means or ‘off‐contract’. If hospital foodservices are to increase their local food procurement, they require access to a suitable, reliable and traceable supply, that acknowledges their complexity and budgetary constraints.

Sustainability in dietetics means embracing complexity, contributing and collaborating

“…Institutional food procurement is one area that is gaining traction. Faulkner et al 12 and Buller et al 13 share important reviews of the evidence for more sustainable hospital food services in Australia, exploring organic and local foods respectively. Buller et al 13 suggest that organic foods can increase quality and sustainability of hospital menus.…”

“…Buller et al 13 suggest that organic foods can increase quality and sustainability of hospital menus. Faulkner et al 12 emphasise the need for more studies detailing local procurement models, but offer two general types (on-contract and off-contract). Both studies describe practical barriers, such as cost and supply chains, and highlight opportunities such as institutional support.…”