The public sector in England currently spends £1.2 billion a year on food and drink. From 2017, buyers ‘are encouraged’ to source fresh, locally sourced and seasonal foodstuffs, in line with the ‘Plan for Public Procurement’ launched on 21 July 2014
Business leader Dr Peter Bonfield, who led the Review into public produce procurement that preceded plan said:
“This is the right approach for our health, our environment and also British businesses.”
Public sector buyers have been asked to judge potential food suppliers against five key criteria:
- how food is produced and whether the food was produced locally
- the health and nutritional content of food purchased
- the resource efficiency of producing the food, such as water and energy use and waste production
- how far the food bought meets government’s socio-economic priorities such as involvement of SMEs
- quality of service and value for money