Public Procurement Powering Agroecological Transformation in Europe

How can public procurement drive agroecological transformation? Across Europe, smallholder organic and agroecological farmers face barriers to accessing public contracts due to administrative burdens and logistical challenges.

This article explores how Copenhagen and Torres Vedras are turning ambition into action—reshaping procurement policies to support smallholders in both large and small municipalities. Discover how their innovative approaches to food system change are revolutionising tenders and creating new opportunities for organic and agroecological farmers.

The article was originally written by Csilla Kiss and Lindy Binder and published in Issue 1 of Policies for Agroecology

Public Procurement powering agroecological transformation in Europe

European public procurement holds immense potential to revolutionize agriculture by connecting small-scale organic and agroecological farmers with large municipal contracts. Such examples as Copenhagen in Denmark or Torres Vedras in Portugal highlight how food system actors are collaborating to achieve sustainable transformation.

Bureaucratic Barriers

In many European cities, smaller organic and agroecological farmers face barriers that prevent them from participating in public procurement for institutions like schools, hospitals, and prisons. These barriers include limited administrative resources, complex logistics, high volume requirements, long payment delays, and an overemphasis on price in procurement decisions.

Additionally, procurement officers often lack specific knowledge about local food systems, making it difficult for them to connect with small-scale farmers or understand their seasonal offerings and challenges. As Danish organic retailer Camilla Varming Nielsen points out, the bureaucratic processes involved in public procurement are burdensome and impractical for smaller producers. Consequently, public bodies often default to purchasing food from large industrial wholesalers.

To address these issues, local governments and public procurement officers in Europe are working to remove barriers by fostering collaborations with small-scale farmers and receiving support from socially engaged researchers. These efforts are leading to policy changes in various European cities, making public procurement more accessible to small-scale agroecological producers.

“The bureaucratic processes involved in public procurement are burdensome and impractical for smaller producers. Consequently, public bodies often default to purchasing food from large industrial wholesalers,” explained Camilla Varming, an organic retailer from Denmark.

Copenhagen: Revolutionising Public Tender

Copenhagen has pioneered a transformative approach to public food procurement, making it more accessible to smallholder farmers. With nearly 90% of meals in public institutions sourced organically, the city’s model demonstrates how public procurement can drive food system change while integrating local, sustainable practices.

Key Strategies for Accessibility to Smallholder Farmers:

This model supports smallholder farmers by lowering barriers to entry, fostering local partnerships, and contributing to food system resilience. It also provides a replicable framework for other municipalities, making public procurement a powerful tool for agroecological transformation.

Torres Vedras: Success Story from a Smaller Municipal

With a population of 83,000, public procurement practices in Torres Vedras have evolved to support smallholder farmers.

Additionally, the municipality raised awareness of organic farming and drew inspiration from a 2018 knowledge exchange with Mouans-Sartoux, France, where the adoption of plant-based proteins and waste reduction allowed 100% organic meals at no additional cost.

Moving Forward: Policy Recommendations

There are opportunities to increase public procurement of local agroecological food within the current EU framework, but substantial structural changes are necessary for a fully supportive policy environment. The European Food Policy Coalition, backed by the Buy Better Food campaign and the COACH project, has proposed practical standards for public canteens, focusing on procurement criteria, verification, and necessary enablers. One key proposal is that at least 10% of food in public procurement should come from small-scale farmers. They also suggest closer collaboration between EU policymakers and local governments to make sustainable public food procurement an institutionalized practice. Furthermore, there is a call for EU-wide initiatives to ensure food education and the provision of healthy, sustainable school meals for all children. These measures are in line with the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, which seeks to make food systems fairer, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable. For small-scale agroecological farmers, these steps would offer access to new markets and reduce administrative burdens, improving their livelihoods.