The Power of the Public Plate

In this last episode of this series, we talk to Betina Bergmann Madsen about Copenhagen’s journey towards sustainable public food procurement. Betina shares her first hand experience as a public procurer of food, how to create dialogue with the market and kitchen staff towards 100% organic food, and the importance of exchanging experience and collaborating across different levels of government. She also gives some great practical recommendations and inspiring food for thought for fellow procurers.

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guests: Betina Bergmann Madsen

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

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In this episode, our guest Mirian Johanna Zambrano Benavides talks to us about pioneering local food procurement in the city of  Manta, Ecuador.

Her work as a Project Coordinator of the Feeding Urbanization FAO Ecuador Project is remarkable as it is the first time food is procured through local government, not through the usual centralised system in Ecuador. Our guest talks about Manta’s exemplary approach to healthy food access, building relationships with local farmers and the plans to replicate the model to other cities in the country.

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guests: Mirian Johanna Zambrano Benavides

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

To find out more about us, visit our websites:

In this episode we explore the exemplary food public procurement system in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the help of advisor to the city mayor on nutrition and board member of the school feeding agency Meti Tamrat.

This episode gives the listeners a good insight into a multi-sectoral approach to procurement, with a focus on local employment of women, more specifically of the mothers of school children. As a matter of fact, the programme works with a catering system based on training the mothers on nutritional value, health and sustainability of different foods, and letting them cook.

The successful implementation of this programme was able to contribute to the sustainable development goals of zero hunger, quality of education, gender equality, good health and wellbeing, despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented.

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guests: Meti Tamrat

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

To find out more about us, visit our websites:

In this episode we dive deep into the public food procurement process in the USA, with the help of our guests Alexa Delwiche, Co-founder and Director of the Center for Good Food Purchasing, and Bertrand Weber, Director for Minneapolis Public School Culinary and Wellness Services.

This episode gives a deeper insight into the relationship between public procurement processes, the bigger picture of the American federal system and the United States Department of Agriculture and its regulations. The guests also give some powerful advice to other procurers, finishing off with their words of wisdom.

This interview is divided into two parts, so make sure to check out Part 1 of the Minneapolis and GFPP interview!

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guests: Alexa Delwiche, Bertrand Weber

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

To find out more about us, visit our websites:

In this episode we dive deep into the public food procurement process in the USA, with the help of our guests Alexa Delwiche, Co-founder and Director of the Center for Good Food Purchasing, and Bertrand Weber, Director for Minneapolis Public School Culinary and Wellness Services.

This episode gives the listeners an introduction on how to start out, how to establish relationships with local smallholder farmers, and the underlying motivations to practice sustainable food procurement.

This conversation continues in a second part, so make sure to come back for Part 2!

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guests: Alexa Delwiche, Bertrand Weber

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

To find out more about us, visit our websites:

In this episode we take a closer look at Italy’s food procurement system and legislation, which is particular for its mandatory green public procurement criteria including food and catering contracts.

Our inspiring guests are Sabina Nicolella, Alberta Congeduti and Matteo Gordini, from Fondazione Ecosistemi, an Italian organisation working on strategies, programmes and actions for sustainable development in the country.

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guests: Sabina Nicolella, Alberta Congeduti, Matteo Gordini

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

To find out more about us, visit our websites:

In this episode we explore the public food procurement in Busia County, Kenya, with the help of food and biodiversity expert Victor Wasike.

Victor provides a 360° view of Busia’s public food procurement, which is inspiring for its social, economic and environmental impacts. Busia’s public meals supply chain has a special focus on including indigenous vegetables in public meals, creating a myriad of health benefits for school children.

Hosts: Josefine Hintz, Peter Defranceschi

Guest: Victor Wasike

Editor: Gabriella Waibel

To find out more about us, visit our websites:

Today we talk to Letícia Baird, a public prosecutor working in Bahia, Brazil, about the region’s Sustainable School Programme, which she leads.

Our conversation explores the story behind the programme, and its ability to serve healthy food to combat childhood obesity, to support female and smallholder farmers, and to integrate the region’s indigenous knowledge and food items into school meals. We also discuss the enabling role of legislation for sustainable food procurement.

In this episode, we dive deep into the public food procurement process in Quezon City, Philippines.

While exploring the city’s new procurement programme, the guests walk us through Quezon City’s journey towards serving healthy and sustainable food in schools, hospitals and canteens, and how food and food procurement fundamentally are tools to create a sense of community especially in times of crisis, like we’ve seen with the COVID-19 pandemic.

To find out more about the Healthy Public Food Procurement Policy:

Hi, and welcome to the Power of the Public Plate podcast!

In this podcast, you will hear the stories of champions of sustainable public food procurement from around the world. In each episode we’ll bring you inspiring guests that talk about how their public authority leverages the power of public procurement to influence the food value chain and about the associated environmental, social and economic benefits.

Make sure to tune in every week to hear more exciting stories by inspiring guests!

The Power of the Public Plate Podcast is brought to you by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and the UN One Planet Network.

To find out more about us, visit our websites: