Center for Regional Food Systems

State-level policies bolster local food purchasing within educational institutions, primarily K–12 school and early care and education (ECE) settings. 

In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role that schools play in nourishing children across the country. In the face of the public health crisis and the ensuing economic challenges, it became evident that farm to institution programs are fundamental to ensuring resilient, healthy communities. 

Local Food Purchasing Incentives (LFPIs) are programs that provide additional funding to child nutrition program (CNP) operators to directly offset or incentivize local food purchases. Typically funded and operated at the state level, these programs intend to increase purchasing of local foods in school and early care and education (ECE) settings. 

Learn more about state-level policies that support farm to school local food purchasing in this resource.  

This document is part of a resource series on Local Food Purchasing Incentives (LFPIs), produced through collaboration between the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) and the National Farm to School Network. This project aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on LFPIs and provide more information for farm to school advocates and practitioners nationwide. 

Explore other resources in this series at foodsystems.msu.edu/local-food-purchasing-incentives. To learn more about states that offer LFPI’s, check out farmtoschool.org/policy/lfpi.