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Reports

1 Apr 2026

Transforming the Public Plate

By Good Food Purchasing Australia

This guide explains how organisations can use their food purchasing to create positive social and environmental impact. It shows how buying decisions can support local producers, fair work, and sustainability, helping organisations use their spending power to drive better outcomes.

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Summary

Transforming the Public Plate is Australia's first comprehensive assessment of how food is procured across publicly funded institutions.

The report comes at a critical moment. Australia's food system and supply chains, including food supplied to hospitals and aged care centres, are at risk due to the fuel crisis triggered by global conflict. This context makes the report's central argument all the more pressing: that smarter public food procurement can build shorter, more resilient local supply chains and reduce our exposure to exactly these kinds of global shocks.

The report reveals that Australian governments spend more than $2.13 billion in taxpayer dollars every year feeding people in hospitals, aged care facilities, childcare centres and other public settings, yet this investment is not delivering on its potential.

Key findings include:

  • Public food procurement is dominated by large multinationals, with limited access for local, small and First Nations producers
  • Low-quality and imported ingredients are widespread, contributing to poor health outcomes
  • Australia has no national framework of standards or targets to drive improvement
  • Comparable countries - including the UK, Scotland and parts of the US and Canada -  have already moved to standards-led procurement
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