Sustainable food procurement and universities: a participative and eco-innovative tender for the vending machines at the University of Turin

The chapter presents some insights about universities’ role in sustainable food procurement derived from experience of a tender for vending concession services of food and drinks at the University of Turin carried out within the framework of the European SPP Regions project. Distinctive features of this case history were the shift from a product logic to a “supply chain” logic in the stakeholder engagement process that led to the preparation of the tender, as well as the integration of green and circular criteria in the contract model. Objectives and guidelines established by the national dietary and nutritional guidelines need to be translated into criteria reachable by the market in terms of technical feasibility and price for the final consumer. Moreover, the introduction of healthy foods in a vending machine should be promoted by greater accessibility (in terms of sales price and visibility) compared to unhealthy food, along with educational campaigns for the target community.