San Francisco Supervisor launches grocery affordability pilot

San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty (FAACTS) have announced the District 5 Grocery Affordability Initiative. This one-year pilot program establishes a micro-Group Purchasing Organization designed to allow neighborhood nonprofits and small, independent grocers to pool produce orders.

The initiative aims to lower wholesale costs by approximately 10% for participants in neighborhoods such as the Tenderloin, Fillmore, Haight Ashbury, and Western Addition. By leveraging bulk purchasing power similar to large chains like Safeway or Whole Foods, the program seeks to pass savings on to consumers and support local businesses in areas often classified as food deserts.

This new approach follows the previous Affordable Groceries Act, which was halted by Mayor Daniel Lurie following opposition from business owners. The new pilot program is supported by $50,000 in seed funding and could launch within the next eight to nine months if approved.