Some useful links

On a separate page, you can download Olympic food publications.

Organisations taking an interest in Olympic and Paralympic food

The London Food Board took a keen interest in the development of the London 2012 Food Vision and its implementation, seeing this as an opportunity to promote healthy food, ethical and sustainable farming and food businesses, and good food training, which are key elements of the London Food Strategy. The Chair of the London Food Board (also the Mayor's food advisor) is Rosie Boycott, who served as an active and influential member of LOCOG’s London 2012 Food Advisory Group.

The London Assembly Environment Committee (2008) quizzed the London 2012 Games organisers about their plans for making the Olympic preparations and event as sustainable as possible. Their report, ‘The Environmental Sustainability of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games’, states that the London Assembly Environment Committee would like to see the Olympic organisers “promote local and organic produce, encourage reduced consumption of animal protein and minimise packaging”.

During 2009, the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 conducted a review of food and beverage across the London 2012 programme to "assess whether the London 2012 Programme has maximised the benefits that a sustainable food strategy can bring in terms of health, local economy, the event / hospitality sector, celebrating cultural diversity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions". Read a BBC London article, Food, Glorious Food? written by Shaun McCarthy of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, reflecting on what London 2012 could learn from the earllier Beijing Olympic Games, and how high-profile events such as London 2012 could promote London’s diverse food culture, food sustainability and food growing.  

In January 2011, Sustain launched the Sustainable Fish City campaign, working with colleagues at the Marine Conservation Society, Marine Stewardship Council and the Seafood Choices Alliance (which coordinates Good Catch). This built on the success of persuading the London 2012 Games organisers to specify demonstrably sustainable fish in their catering contracts. Launched with the support of the London Mayor's food advisor Rosie Boycott, within a year of the London 2012 Games, the campaign had won sustainable fish pledges, and evidence of significant action to implement those pledges, from caterers that together serve well over 200 million meals a year.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) praised London 2012 for commitment to One Planet Living and sustainable food, and UNEP has since adopted its own sustainable fish policy for UN catering at events and meetings.

The sustainability policy organisation Bioregional helped London 2012 to write the original bid. Read more about their One Planet Living approach, which includes sustainable food.

 

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Radio 4 Food Programme

The Radio 4 Food Programme is tracking the progress of Olympic food. Two programmes have so far been broadcast, each featuring commentary by Sustain’s policy director Kath Dalmeny (who also sits on LOCOG’s Food Advisory Group):

• Sport and Food: How major catering businesses are improving the quality and sustainability of food served at sporting events.
• Olympic Food: With thousands of construction workers already arriving in East London to build the Olympic stadium, Sheila Dillon finds out about ambitious plans to improve the healthiness and sustainability of their meals.