3 Sustainable and ethical food sourcing
24. The Government's objectives for sustainable food
procurement include increasing the capacity and opportunities
for smaller and local producers to meet public sector demand.[59]
In practice there is widespread confusion among public bodies
and suppliers of food and catering services about what sustainable
food procurement means, and as a result they often provide incoherent
and inconsistent specifications to their food and catering suppliers.[60]
25. Aggregation of demand should not necessarily
mean aggregation of supply; departments recognise the need to
strike the right balance between the use of centralised contracts
to get better deals, and encouraging public bodies to work more
closely with local markets.[61]
The Department for Education and Skills, working jointly with
the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is encouraging
local authorities and schools to look for local, smaller and sustainable
sources so far as possible which offer value for money. The MoD
has worked with the UK meat industry, to increase the amount of
UK produce that can be supplied competitively.[62]
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency has achieved such an increase
in some of its frameworks by breaking them into lots and encouraging
bids from local and regional suppliers.[63]
26. It is possible to increase the proportion of
food purchased competitively from local or regional producers
while complying with EU competition rules. For example, Shropshire
County Council has brought together local producers for the provision
of school food by simplifying their procurement processes and
breaking up the contracts so that smaller more geographically
isolated suppliers can bid to supply clusters of local schools
in their immediate area.[64]
27. Frontline procurers can increase the proportion
of food purchased from 'Fair Trade' sources particularly where
these offer the same standard and competitive prices.[65]
For example, the Ministry of Defence has used food selection panels
to identify fair trade coffee of the same quality as a lower cost
replacement for its existing brand.[66]
28. Frontline procurers need to satisfy themselves
that the animal welfare and food production practices of their
supply chains adhere to UK standards.[67]
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency conducts unannounced external
audit spot checks of its supply chains, and overseas audits where
appropriate.[68] The
Ministry of Defence inspects, for example, its suppliers of meat
to check the standards under which animals are kept and slaughtered.[69]
In the schools sector the responsibility for inspection and spot
checks rests with local authorities and schools or their catering
contractors.[70]
59 C&AG's report, Smarter Food Procurement in
the Public Sector, HC (Session 2005-06), 963-I, para 1.12,
page 25; The Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative
(details available at www.defra.gov.uk) Back
60
C&AG's Report, Smarter Food Procurement in the Public Sector,
HC (Session 2005-06), 963-I, para 2.18, page 39 Back
61
Qq 20, 108, 109 Back
62
Qq 11, 110 Back
63
C&AG's Report, Smarter Food Procurement in the Public Sector,
HC (2005-06) 963-I, para 2.9, page 35 Back
64
C&AG's Report, Smarter Food Procurement in the Public Sector:
Case Studies, HC (2005-06) 963-II, Case example A, page 8 Back
65
Qq 45, 46, 47 Back
66
Q 48 Back
67
Qq 108, 122, 123 Back
68
Qq 108, 110 Back
69
Q 123 Back
70
Q 109 Back
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