Strategies for Advancing Farmworkers’ Rights Through Procurement

The Coalition for Immokalee Workers’ (CIW) Fair Food Program (FFP) improves working conditions for farmworkers by promoting labor justice through partnerships with large corporate buyers at the top of the supply chain. The FFP is widely regarded as the “international benchmark” in the fight against modern-day slavery. To expand its reach, CIW wants to understand the potential for partnerships between the FFP and public institutions that wield significant purchasing power, including government agencies and schools. The Capstone team provided an analysis of food procurement practices across public institutions in New York City and presented potential strategies for influencing public procurement. Utilizing legal research, interviewing procurement experts, and analyzing procurement data, the team provided CIW with a report detailing the specific procurement practices of five selected public institutions in New York City, providing recommendations for how to leverage public procurement to broaden their impact.