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Helping Hospitality Organizations Put Responsible Sourcing into Action

Key Takeaways

Responsible sourcing is becoming a strategic priority across hospitality.
Hotels are increasingly integrating sustainable and fair trade products into their procurement programs to improve supply chain resilience, manage operational and regulatory risk, and support broader sustainability objectives.
Avendra International helps hospitality organizations operationalize responsible sourcing.
Through the Avendra for Good program, organizations can implement practical procurement strategies focused on inclusive sourcing, local procurement, and sustainability initiatives across key spend categories such as food, textiles, seafood, and packaging.
Industry collaboration is accelerating sustainable procurement adoption.
Avendra's work with organizations such as AHLA and Green Key Global provides hospitality leaders with resources, supplier transparency tools, and certification support that make responsible sourcing more achievable and measurable.

Responsible sourcing is becoming a strategic procurement lever for hospitality organizations seeking to strengthen supply chains, manage risk, and advance sustainability objectives. Nearly all hotels (99.1%) are sourcing at least one product sustainably and approximately half are purchasing at least 50% of their food and beverage products from fair trade sources, according to recent American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) findings.

As adoption grows, Avendra International is working alongside industry partners to help hospitality organizations translate responsible sourcing ambitions into actionable procurement strategies.

Advancing Industry-Wide Progress

To support that effort, Avendra contributed to AHLA's recently released Responsible Sourcing resource. Developed with industry input, the guide helps owners, operators, and brand leaders evaluate the financial, operational, reputational, and regulatory considerations associated with responsible procurement.

"Avendra's data insights and industry expertise were instrumental in shaping a practical, impactful resource that will help hospitality companies advance responsible and sustainable procurement practices," said Lauren Pravlik, Vice President of Committees & Member Engagement, AHLA.

As businesses continue to advance their responsible sourcing efforts, supplier and purchasing decisions can have a meaningful impact across the value chain.

"As businesses work toward a more sustainable future, the suppliers, products, and services they choose play a major role in how transformative they can be," said Natily Santos, VP of Responsible Sourcing, Aramark + Avendra International. "Smart policies, from businesses, suppliers, and governments, are instrumental in supporting this work."

Santos added, "America's hotels, through Responsible Stay, are leading the way on transformational change needed to achieve a more sustainable and carbon-free future. We can all work together to incentivize sustainable sourcing that spans from energy to the food we source and encourage broader adoption of sustainable practices across the industry."

How Avendra Supports Hospitality Organizations with Responsible Sourcing

Through Avendra for Good, we help hospitality organizations turn responsible sourcing goals into practical purchasing strategies centered on three pillars:

Inclusive sourcing
Local procurement
Sustainability initiatives

We focus on high-impact categories including animal proteins, agricultural crops, sustainable seafood, textiles and uniforms, and paper and plastic products.

Supplier engagement is central to that approach. Through our Supplier Sustainability Policy, Code of Conduct, and partnership with EcoVadis, we help increase transparency across the supply chain. Today, more than 1,000 suppliers participate in our sustainability survey process, while our responsible sourcing team works closely with clients to develop strategies, implement changes, and track progress over time.

Expanding Industry Collaboration

Industry partnerships continue to play an important role in helping hospitality organizations advance their responsible sourcing efforts.

Most recently, Avendra was named a Preferred Vendor in the Green Key Global Vendor Program, expanding the resources available to hotels pursuing sustainability and certification goals. Through the collaboration, Avendra supports hotels with resources that streamline the certification process, including a Green Key pre-approved answer guide and responsible sourcing solutions embedded within the award-winning Avendra for Good program.

"Green Key Global is delighted to partner with Avendra International as part of our Vendor Program," said Anick Levesque, Managing Director of Green Key Global. "Their services will provide tremendous value to our hotel members as they continue their sustainability journey."

"We are proud to join the Green Key Global Vendor Program as a Preferred Vendor," said Santos. "Together, we're helping hospitality leaders embed responsible sourcing into everyday purchasing by using procurement as a strategic lever to reduce environmental impact, strengthen supply chain resilience, and create meaningful contributions in the communities they serve."

Looking Ahead

Responsible sourcing has become a business imperative for hospitality organizations. As the industry evolves, hospitality leaders have an opportunity to align procurement decisions with operational, sustainability, and community goals, strengthening supply chains while creating long-term business value.