UNSPSC 50586822: Non GMO dasheen

The variety of Non GMO vegetable known as Non GMO dasheen. 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 50586822 Non GMO dasheen is a Commodity code that addresses produce procurement within state and local school nutrition and food service operations, though the recent opportunity record shows little direct activity tagged to this specific code. School districts across multiple states are actively soliciting fresh produce for child nutrition programs through RFPs, RFQs, IFBs, and ITBs, but dasheen (taro root) appears rarely if at all in the specifications reviewed. The actual purchasing activity under produce codes focuses on staple fruits, vegetables, and eggs—apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens, citrus, potatoes, and Grade A eggs—with emphasis on USDA compliance, Buy American provisions, HACCP certification, and domestic sourcing where cost and quality align. School districts also prioritize products without artificial additives, colors, or sweeteners, and increasingly incorporate locally grown and specialty-crop procurement to support Farm to School and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) initiatives. Issuing bodies are predominantly school districts and boards of education serving child nutrition programs, spanning elementary through high school campuses, along with state departments procuring for operations. Early County Schools (Georgia), Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida), Bulloch County School District (Georgia), Rockwood R-VI School District (Missouri), Liberty County Board of Education (Georgia), Muscogee County School District (Georgia), Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (Georgia), Glynn County Board of Education (Georgia), McAllen Independent School District (Texas), Austin Independent School District (Texas), and Douglas County School System (Georgia) represent the repeat buyers in the recent record.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia, Texas, and Florida, with secondary clusters in Missouri. Representative solicitations include Early County Schools' line-by-line RFQ for 300+ food items due June 8, 2026, specifying produce, dairy, and non-food products for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs; Northside Independent School District (San Antonio, Texas) RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce due May 7, 2026, requiring USDA Child Nutrition Reimbursable compliance and Texas-grown sourcing; Hillsborough County Public Schools (Tampa, Florida) RFP 26039RFPDST for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program specialty items due March 11, 2026, funded by federal USDA grant ($600,000 estimated annual); Glynn County Board of Education IFB 27-02 for fresh produce due April 14, 2026, covering 60 line items across 16 school locations; and Douglas County School System RFP SN 26-004 through the GEC Buying Cooperative for 30 school districts across Georgia, estimated at $4.4 million for Area One and $1.1 million for Area Two, due March 4, 2026. Contracts typically run July 1 through June 30 with one to four renewal options; pricing is firm for the contract term or subject to documented escalation on six-month or annual cycles backed by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index data; and awards favor lowest responsive and responsible bidders on line-item bases when multiple vendors are qualified. No set-asides specific to disadvantaged enterprises are noted across the recent record, though districts encourage small and minority-owned business participation where federal funding applies.