UNSPSC 50585004: Non GMO dwarf green long pod okra

The variety of Non GMO okra known as Non GMO dwarf green long pod okra. This means that they are produced without the use of methods that genetically modify organisms by means that are not possible under natural conditions. Such methods include cell fusion, microencapsulation and macro-encapsulation, and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology).

Traditional methods of breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture are considered to be non-GMO.

UNSPSC 50585004 Non GMO dwarf green long pod okra is a Commodity code. State and local government food service operations—primarily school districts and county education boards—solicit under this code to procure fresh produce items for child nutrition programs, though the recent opportunities block shows no solicitations specifically requesting okra alone. Instead, school nutrition procurement solicits comprehensive fresh produce portfolios that typically include 60 to 72+ line items spanning apples, bananas, berries, leafy greens, root vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other items delivered fresh to school sites multiple times per week. The work involves vendor sourcing, temperature-controlled transport, HACCP compliance, food safety documentation including GAP certification, weekly or twice-weekly delivery between early morning (6:00–7:30 AM) and early afternoon (2:00–3:30 PM), and alignment with USDA Child Nutrition Reimbursable standards and Buy American provisions. School districts dominate the issuing-body mix, ranging from small rural districts (Liberty County, Bulloch County) serving 11,200 to 14,000 students to large urban systems (McAllen Independent School District serving 20,000 students, Northside Independent School District with 127 schools across San Antonio, Austin Independent School District, and Savannah-Chatham County Public School System with 60 school sites). A county-level Georgia school cooperative (GEC Buying Cooperative through Douglas County School System) also solicits on behalf of 30 districts across two geographic areas, indicating cooperative purchasing is common in this space.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia and Texas, with secondary activity in Missouri, Florida, and South Carolina. Representative solicitations include the Douglas County School System RFP SN 26-004 (issued February 4, 2026, bids due March 4, 2026) for approximately 72 line items of fresh produce and eggs across 30 districts with estimated annual spending of $4.4 million for Area One; Northside Independent School District RFP 2026-048 (issued April 14, 2026, bids due May 7, 2026) for fresh produce compliant with USDA Child Nutrition Reimbursable standards and HACCP certification, serving 127 school campuses July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027; Early County Board of Education (issued May 11, 2026, bids due June 8, 2026) for approximately 300+ food items including fresh produce across three schools with emphasis on domestic sourcing, whole grains, and low-sodium formulations; and Liberty County Board of Education IFB for produce and food products (issued March 30, 2026, bids due April 29, 2026) across 13 school sites. Evaluation typically emphasizes price (30–50 points), quality and freshness (15–30 points), vendor experience and qualifications, delivery reliability, and compliance with food safety and Buy American requirements. Most contracts run July 1 through June 30 with renewal options for one to four additional one-year terms. No recent solicitations explicitly name okra or dwarf okra varieties, suggesting competitive differentiation in this commodity code may depend on vendor ability to source specialty or organic produce variants when districts specify them in line-item bid tables.