Rosie Boycott promises good food for London police, transport workers and the fire brigade

Food and farming organisations today congratulated the Greater London Authority (GLA) for adopting a healthy and sustainable food commitment for catering provided to London's police, transport workers, fire brigade and GLA staff.

The commitment was announced last night (6th December) by London's food champion Rosie Boycott, food advisor to the London Mayor, speaking at the GLA's Responsible Procurement Awards ceremony. [1]

“By agreeing to serve healthier food, the Greater London Authority has recognised its responsibility for the police officers, Tube and bus drivers and fire brigade, on whose health and wellbeing our city depends,” said Ben Reynolds of Sustain, an alliance of food and farming organisations. [2]

“It's great news that the GLA will invest their influential buying power in food grown to higher standards of fair trade, animal welfare and environmental protection, for example by promising to buy Fairtrade tea and coffee, seasonal food and sustainable fish. This is important to promote responsible farming and good fishing livelihoods, now and in the future,” said Kath Dalmeny of Sustain, who is also a member of the London Food Board. [3]

The GLA's healthy and sustainable food commitment is based on the London 2012 Food Vision adopted by the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [4] Rosie Boycott, chair of the London Food Board was a member of the London 2012 Food Advisory Group that advised on development of the Food Vision, along with Sustain and representatives of government and the food, farming and catering industries.

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Notes to editors

[1] Details of the Responsible Procurement Awards can be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/rp/awards/

[2] Sustain is an alliance of around 100 food and farming organisations working to promote health and sustainability in the food system, see: https://www.sustainweb.org

[3] The London Food Board is chaired by the mayor's food advisor Rosie Boycott, and helps to implement the Mayor's Food Strategy, 'Healthy and Sustainable Food for London', http://www.london.gov.uk/londonfood/

[4] The London 2012 Food Vision was launched in December 2009. For details, see: https://www.sustainweb.org/olympicfood/food_vision_launched/