Public sector use of British food rises
The public sector is using increasing amounts of British food, Farming and Environment Minister Jane Kennedy announced on 26 November.
Ms Kennedy said:
“If you eat an egg in a hospital, government canteen or army barracks in Britain, that egg will be British, and the milk in your tea will almost certainly be British, which is the result of the Government’s drive to buy more local produce and support local businesses.
“Small and local producers are the lifeblood of our food industry, and that’s why we’ve made such an effort to increase the amount of local, seasonal food served by public bodies.
“Buying local food and eating with the seasons where it’s possible reduces the impact on the environment and supports our businesses, and the government is looking even further at how to increase the amount of British food we buy and increasing the opportunities for small producers and suppliers to tender for government contracts.”
The latest figures show that the NHS Supply Chain now sources 70 per cent of its food from domestic sources, compared with 58.5 per cent a year ago. The Ministry of Defence has increased the amount of British produce it uses from 43 per cent in 2007 to 59 per cent in 2008, and the National Offender Management Service (previously HM Prison Service) figures show an increase from 37 per cent to 49 per cent this year.
The report is part of the monitoring of the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative which aims to increase tendering opportunities for small and local food producers to help them win contracts to supply government departments and other public bodies.
Page published: 5 December 2008