More and more public bodies - including health trusts, schools and local councils - are moving towards sourcing locally produced organic food
Keeping it local
Food is always in the headlines, the public are being encouraged to adopt
a healthier diet and support local producers, however once we are at work
how do we know where our food comes from?
Local food procurement is becoming a big issue as people realise the impact
that the public sector catering can have. In August 2003 the government
launched its Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) hoping
to use this buying power to help deliver its Sustainable Farming and Food
Strategy and ensure a world-class, sustainable, farming and food sector
which contributed to a better environment and healthier, more prosperous,
communities.
Since then a number of initiatives have been set up, adding to existing
schemes. They are vitally important because the public sector in England
spends £1.8 billion on food and catering. The NHS alone spends £500
million providing 300 million meals in 1,200 hospitals every year.
The large amounts spent by public bodies on food could have a major impact
on the viability of local economies, particularly in areas of deprivation.
Around 45% of NHS staff earn £15,000 or below and around 14% earn
less than £10,000. Food in hospital canteens is likely to affect
the nutritional health of hospital staff as much as the people to whom
they offer care.
Dick Barry, UNISON's policy and research officer, feels that there are
benefits for employees: "It is important that food is sourced as
locally as possible. For staff on low incomes, including large numbers
of public sector workers, the food they are served at work provides a
vital part of their diet. This food needs to be as nutritious and healthy
as possible, and local organic food is the best way to ensure this.
"Local food is transported shorter distances and is therefore fresher
and needs less preservatives. Requiring less transportation reduces the
pollution pumped into the atmosphere. It is also cheaper, something that
supermarkets have been working hard to hide, and keeps money within the
local economy. All this benefits those on a low income."
Benefits are not only felt by public sector employees, but also the wider
community. Local procurement helps economic development, public health
and the environment, as localised food systems support farmers and communities
keeping money in the area and helping to regenerate market towns and deprived
areas by increasing incomes and job creation.
Shorter supply chains can mean less traffic and fresher, healthier food,
generating less food miles. As food travels ever further to reach our
plates some products, such as milk, can be simultaneously imported and
exported resulting in millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions,
contributing to climate change. Increases in local food used reduces food
miles and this associated pollution.
Various initiatives have looked at ways of increasing the amount of produce
bought locally. South Gloucestershire Council source as much local produce
as possible for its 120 schools, and staff have the opportunity to take
home local produce through a 'basket scheme'. While in Hampshire the county
council has been working with a local supplier to provide organic meat
for school dinners.
Cornwall NHS Trust is formulating a local procurement policy, aiming to
encourage small local suppliers to join local food supply groups or co-operatives.
And the Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust has established an
in-house cook-chill unit, based in Solihull Hospital and serving 3 other
hospitals. They are now trailing a 'Fighting Back With Food' initiative,
encouraging patients to eat foods that actively fight infections and boost
the bodies own natural defenses.
Somerset Food Links has been working with Somerset County Council and
Somerset County Services to increase local food in the county's schools.
Director Paul Sander- Jackson explained some of the benefits:
"Somerset Food Links has been the lead body in a DEFRA funded pilot
project ending this March. The project has been working with twelve primary
and middle schools, examining the benefits of increasing the amount of
local food used.
"We have been looking at the economic benefits that local suppliers
receive and how this helps keep money within the community, the effect
on eating, diet and habits in school children that using local food has
had and the environmental benefits of reducing food miles. While the results
of this pilot won't be out until April or May, we do feel that the use
of local food in schools has benefited the wider community."
Projects like this demonstrate that the public sector has really begun
to see the importance of buying food from local sources, however there
is plenty of room to introduce more schemes. If you work somewhere that
doesn't use local food talk to the catering manager, and you too could
be eating locally produced food that is good for you and the environment.
Story by Keith Hatch
