Thursday, April 07, 2011

National parks making food suppliers buy local

The National Park Service announced yesterday that it will require its food suppliers to meet health and sustainability standards, including buying local products. "The policy will affect concessions in all 394 park units as each concession operator's contract comes up for renewal," Debra Kahn of Environment & Energy Daily reports. "There are more than 100 food vendors operating in the parks."

NPS Director Jon Jarvis, speaking at the "Healthy Parks, Healthy People" conference in California, said "Our strategy nationally for all of our concessioners will become a standard that they will serve the choices of healthy food, locally grown and good for you, as part of the national park experience." The policy is based on the Muir Woods Cafe in Muir Woods National Monument north of San Francisco, "which revamped its contract process to prioritize organic ingredients, local sourcing and healthy menu options," Kahn writes. (Read more, subscription required)

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