Different authorities are responsible for different aspects of food for the London 2012 Games:
- In the construction phase, food is the responsibility of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)
- For Games time, and for the Cultural Olympiad, food is the responsibility of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)
- Local authorities around the country will oversee food provision at Olympic-related events such as screenings (live sites), the torch relay and unticketed road events
Sustain’s London Food Link project has been supporting the ODA’s caterers to improve the healthiness and sustainability of food served to construction workers. Hear about their work on the Radio 4 Food Programme broadcast on Monday 6 April, 2009. The picture on the left shows the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme's Sheila Dillon interviewing Ros Seal, who is supporting the ODA's construction workers in making healthier and more sustainable food choices.Since spring 2009, Sustain has also been contributing to LOCOG’s Food Advisory Group, helping to set out the case for healthy, ethical and sustainable food for London 2012 and provide information on how this can be achieved. LOCOG is due to publish its Food Strategy in autumn 2009.
Promising signs
You can gain an insight into the emerging thinking on Olympic food on a blog published by David Stubbs, head of sustainability for LOCOG. David Stubbs also chairs the Food Advisory Group.
David Stubbs has also written an article on Olympic food contracts for Farm Business magazine, September 2009. It can be downloaded as a Word document here.
The London 2012 organisers have also been working with Team Green Britain to promote individual action to improve sustainability and reduce carbon footprints. Among the food actions listed, Team Green Britain encourages people to: Buy more food via farmers’ markets; Buy more local and seasonal food to reduce food miles; Take part in the Big Lunch; Grow more of your own food; and “Get a little veggie and eat less meat, particularly beef”, because “it comes with a big carbon hoofprint”
Registered charity (no.