Sustainable Food Procurement Initative - South West Public Procurement Group
Case Study: South West Public Procurement Group
Region: South West
Organisation: Government Office for the South West and Countryside Agency. Plus: SWRDA, South West Food and Drink, SW Local Food Partnership, Public Health Observatory, Five - A - Day, NFU, South Gloucestershire District Council, Somerset County Council, Sustain, Independent Consultant (CA/SWLFP public procurement research work)
Description: A strategic group whose terms of reference are to co-ordinate the strategy, research and funding needed to increase the procurement of South West local and regional food and drink into the South West public sector.
Benefits
- Region-wide Partnership of key agencies and organisations
- An integrated part of the South West Delivery plan for the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy
- Provides a South West link to the national Food Procurement Implementation Group
- Continuity across all relevant groups and departments.
- Shared knowledge
- Prevent duplication of research and work carried out.
- Ensure all groups have an equal voice.
Lessons learned during implementation
Need identified for :
- Some action research work to be done on public procurement in the South West. Countryside Agency/Rural Development Agency funded and work completed.
- A piece of work to research and produce presentation material that can be used to persuade policy makers at regional and local level of the social, environmental and economic benefits of procuring local food for the public sector. This presentation material would be made available to all those who are in a position to influence policy makers and would be available electronically (PowerPoint) so as to retain some flexibility for those who wish to present it.
Future developments:
- To develop and agree a strategy and action plan for Public Procurement of local and regional food in the SW.
- Develop Cornwall as regional case study/model of 'how-to carryout public procurement of local food', building on existing research
Further information
Andy Berry, andy.berry@southwestfoodanddrink.com, Tel: 01392 878333
Page last modified: 30 January 2007
Page published: 3 October
2003