Submission to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Public Sector Procurement of Food
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Submission to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Public Sector Procurement of Food
Public sector food has the potential to deliver a number of government priorities, including making us healthier, benefiting our farmers, and leading a transition to sustainable diets. But evidence from Sustain and our members shows that it is failing to do so.
Summary
- School food standards, established in statutory legislation, have led to better dietary outcomes.
- Sustainable fish standards have been sucessfully adopted. Businesses adapt well to clear standards, and produce new products which make it easy for all to comply.
- There is overwhelming evidence on non-compliance with the Government Buying Standards overall.
- Compliance monitoring and reporting is unsatisfactory.
- Post-Brexit trade deals may mean lower-standard food on public sector menus.
- The Government Buying Standards must be reviewed to reflect the climate and nature emergency, support local producers better, and make standards mandatory across the public sector.
Climate Change and Nature: Sustain has taken a keen interest in the rapidly accumulating evidence about the effect of food and farming on climate change and nature, as scientific evidence emerges that our food system is a very significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
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