We Are The Urban School Food Alliance

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Our Impact

News

Leadership

Empowering
School Food

The Urban School Food Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created by school food service professionals in 2012 to address the unique needs of the nation’s largest school districts. Our members collaborate to share best practices, develop procurement standards, and advocate for the health and wellness of students.

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By the Numbers

Each step we take makes us hungrier for progress, resulting in more smiling students in our schools.

Districts
Participating

Schools
Served

Million
Students

Million
Meals Served

Million
Spent on Procurement

School districts that tailor school food service procurement policies and procedures using best practices from commercial food service achieve benefits in food quality, supply chain and food cost. Districts receiving federal funds through the operation of the NSLP, SBP, CACFP, SFSP must follow USDA procurement regulations, not Education Department of General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). This self-assessment tool measures procurement strategies beyond compliance with federal regulations that can result in better food, controlled costs, and improved chain.

Check out the tool!

A look into our Fall meeting

Members of USFA were excited to be together in person to learn from one another, hear updates from USDA, learn more about current research, discuss critical topics and see school meal operations firsthand at Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Watch this video to learn more about USFA.

2023 USFA Fall Meeting Vendor Interviews

USFA also invited vendors to discuss innovative and clean label products.

USFA Local Procurement Miniseries

School meals provide important nutrition to 30 million students a day. The time is now for schools to be bold and creative when considering their purchasing power and their responsibilities in serving their community. The procurement processes used by schools can have a tremendous impact on the viability of local farmers, processors, and their ability to supply healthy local food to schools.

Learn more about the Local Procurement Miniseries!

Our
Responsibility

With the majority of our students qualifying for free or reduced-priced meals due to financial hardships, school meals provide the most consistent source of daily nutrition for these children. As the Alliance, we understand our great responsibility to provide access to healthy meals for our students. When students eat well, they also do well in school.

Our
Approach

To provide fresh, healthy and delicious meals to students, member districts work together on policy, share best practices and leverage our purchasing power to continue to drive food quality up and costs down while incorporating sound environmental practices.

Prioritizing
School Meals

“School meals play a critical role in a child’s ability to succeed in the classroom and in the future. The Urban School Food Alliance uses the collective strength of its member districts to ensure that the quality and accessibility of those meals is never diminished.”

Dr. Katie Wilson, Executive Director

Working Together:
Our Districts

Urban School Food Alliance began in 2012 with 6 founding districts: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, and Orlando. Since then USFA has grown our membership to include 18 districts across the United States, working together to provide fresh, healthy and delicious meals to students.

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Partners & Supporters

The Alliance is made possible in part by the hard work and generosity of our partners and supporters, who are dedicated to furthering our mission and shaping the future of school meals nationwide.

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