The Power of Institutional Forward Commitments

Our new video series captures the farmers, food service professionals, and advocates who are transforming food procurement.

August 8, 2025

Across the country, institutions like hospitals, universities, and public schools are beginning to tap into their purchasing power to support a more equitable and sustainable food system. These groups serve hundreds, sometimes thousands, of meals a day—and what they choose to put on the plate matters.

Meanwhile, smaller farmers—especially values-aligned, sustainable producers—have historically faced barriers to accessing institutional markets. But that’s beginning to change.

Through intentional relationships and forward-thinking procurement strategies, institutions are making deeper commitments to their communities and the local food economy.

“We started having meaningful conversations with some of our key customers,” said Bill Green, Executive Director of The Common Market Southeast.“Not just about individual transactions, but about how to truly build a more sustainable food system. They were willing to step up.”

One strategy developed by The Common Market is the forward commitment: a model where buyers commit in advance to purchasing specific amounts of produce. Rather than ordering based solely on short-term availability, institutions signal to farmers ahead of time what they plan to buy, allowing growers to plan accordingly.

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Rafael Guerrero, of La Hacienda Sweets, harvests summer squash on his farm in Lyons, GA.

“It’s extremely important to know that your produce is sold ahead of time. If you have 100 acres of onions with no market, they’ll sit there and rot. That’s your time, your labor, your livelihood. But if you know it’s sold? You can plan. You can sleep at night.” — Rafeal Guerrero, Owner of La Hacienda Sweets in Lyons, GA.

For buyers, that commitment goes beyond the product. “You're committing to your staff, your customers, the farmers—and to yourself—that you’re going to put out the best product possible,” said George Sigetti, Chef at Northside Hospital Cherokee in Canton, GA.

The impact is far-reaching. These commitments not only open new markets for local growers, they also help ensure that some of our country’s most vulnerable populations—those who rely on institutions for daily meals—have access to fresh, healthy, delicious food.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about buying local food. It’s about investing in a future where sustainability, equity, and community health are at the center of how we eat.

“When we talk to buyers, I try to make sure they understand: they're not just making a decision to buy food,” Bill Green continues. “They’re making a decision about how we’re going to live in the future.”

See this story come to life in 'The Power of Forward Commitments' video here.

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La Hacienda Sweets' produce is served on the lunch line at Rockdale County Public Schools.

Learn more about The Common Market’s Forward commitment program in our case study, “Building Resilient Agriculture through Forward Purchasing Commitments and Direct Farmer Financial Investment.”

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This work was made possible with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation. The ACRE Collective is a collaboration between The Common Market Southeast, The Conservation Fund’s Working Farms Fund, Georgia Organics, Health Care Without Harm, and the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory University.