Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI)
Tools and guidance
We know that good procurement is sustainable procurement and we will work in tandem with the Government’s Action Plan to strive for a carbon neutral estate by 2012 as we support the UK in meeting its Kyoto targets and tackling climate change.
John Healey MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury – launch of the Government’s Sustainable Procurement Action PlanTransforming Government Procurement (March 2007)
Tools
- Defra’s Catering Services and Food Procurement toolkit
The toolkit is designed to help public bodies put PSFPI objectives into practice in their contracts for food and catering services. - A fresh approach to improving food procurement in the public sector – OGC’s food quality standards
- London Boroughs’ Meals on Wheels tendering toolkit
Reducing the environmental impacts associated with the production, delivery and consumption of food
Other resources
- Specifications for cuts of beef, lamb and pork - on MLC's website
Agricultural Census data
- Index
- Agricultural data – regional, county, local authority and ward level
- Agricultural atlas – showing shows the distribution of crops, livestock and land use across England
Seasonal produce
- Chart of seasonal production of salad and fruit crops in the UK (PDF 40 KB)
- Chart of seasonal production of vegetables in the UK (PDF 40 KB)
- Seasonality chart for beef, lamb and pork (PDF 20 KB)
- BBC's In Season Food
- Fishonline's quick reference guide to the seasonality; maturity; minimum landing size and best choices for wild capture fish
Note: If you have developed any tools that can help other public sector bodies in England take forward the PSFPI, please contact: roger.hinds@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
PSFPI specific
- Eggs produced in conventional cages (PDF 25 KB) - alert to public bodies of the EU Commission’s recommendation that the 2012 deadline to phase out conventional “battery” cages across Europe should stay; plus the Government’s commitment to this deadline and the clear welfare advantages offered by alternative production systems (2 February 2008).
- Putting it into practice (PDF 1 MB)
Advice for promoting healthy food and improving the sustainability and efficiency of food procurement, catering services and supply. - DIY guide to implementing the PSFPI - advice for practitioners (PDF 750 KB)
Helping public bodies in England engage more actively in the PSFPI, providing step by step advice on how to improve the supply of healthy and sustainable food - How to increase opportunities for small and local producers when aggregating food procurement - guidance for buyers and specifiers (PDF 250 KB)
- Meaty Meals for School Cooks (Word 1.3 Mb)
This cookbook - produced by the Heart of England fine food (HEFF) through the Government Office for the West Midlands with Defra funding under the PSFPI - provides schools with recipes for using less popular cuts of meat during the spring, summer and autumn terms. Such cuts provide good value for money as they cost less and are just as tasty. The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Council have produced a DVD showing butchers supplying the public sector how to produce these cuts and catering managers how to cook and serve them. Contact: tony.goodger@ahdbms.org.uk
The nutritional data for the cookbook and can be viewed on the HEFF web site. A report about the production of the cookbook is on HEFF’s PSFPI projects page.
Further information
- Sustainable procurement: General guidance relevant to the PSFPI
- PSFPI - other useful publications and sources (PDF 200 KB)
See also
- Providing Meals in primary schools (PDF 100 KB)
DIY guide produced by East Anglia Food Link for the PSFPI - Guidance for procuring school meals
- Food in schools toolkit (Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills)
A joint publication consisting of guidance, advice, case studies and templates to help schools work towards healthy eating. - Think Smart ... think voluntary sector (PDF on Home Office website)
Publication to provide all Government departments and NDPBs with best practice guidance on the procurement of services from the voluntary and community sector.
Page last modified: 29 December 2008
Page published: 2 November 2004