Austin

Austin Institutions First in the South to Adopt Good Food Purchasing

Austin Independent School District became the first in Texas—and the South—to adopt the Good Food Purchasing Program. In collaboration with Austin-based institutions and support from city leaders and philanthropic organizations, Austin schools are already seeing progress in their efforts to bring more local and sustainably-produced food into school cafeterias. This early success has helped foster a culture of pride and expertise around values-based purchasing that inspires involvement and action from a growing cohort of institutions across Central Texas.

Population:
978,908

Race Demographics:
8% Black / 0.7% Indigenous / 8% Asian / 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander / 73% White (48.3% Non-Hispanic) / 4% Two or More Races / 34% Hispanic

Poverty Rate:
13%

Austin Independent School District Free and Reduced Price Lunch:
53%

Estimated Public Food Spend:
$37,000,000

Local Leadership:
Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board, City of Austin Office of Sustainability

Curious to see where Austin institutions can invest their public food dollars locally? Use the map’s radius distance slider (left) to see how purchasing within a 50 mile, 250 mile, or 500 mile radius looks.