Food with Mark Bittman: Paula Daniels

Arranging a world around good food.

Published January 22, 2025

Photo courtesy Paula Daniels

How do you begin to come up with definitions for good food, sustainable food, and fair food? This is one of the topics Paula Daniels and I got to on this week’s podcast episode.

I first met Paula more than 10 years ago, when she was creating what was then called The Good Food Purchasing Policy. An innovative set of guidelines for institutions like the City of Los Angeles to follow when buying food, The Good Food Purchasing Policy set standards for labor, food quality, regionalism, and more. It’s since blossomed into what’s called The Good Food Purchasing Program, and has spread nationwide. It is the single best set of guidelines for institutions, businesses, and other bulk purchases of food, and it continues to grow.

Paula and I had a wonderful and informative conversation, and I think you’ll enjoy it.

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