Up to £600m a year is spent on imported produce, £400m of which could be sourced from the UK.

Government commits to buying locally sourced food from 2017

The Government is giving a potential £400 million boost to farmers and food producers across the UK by making a new commitment to buying locally sourced food from 2017.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced that central government will commit to buying fresh, locally sourced seasonal food through a new simplified food and drink buying standard - The Plan for Public Procurement - as part of a long-term economic plan to back British.

The plan should benefit farmers, small businesses and local communities.

The public sector in England spends £1.2 billion every year on food and drink. Up to £600 million of that is spent on imported produce, £400 million of which could be sourced from within the UK.

The commitment from central government to use this new buying standard means that just over half of the £400 million will be up for grabs by British farmers. In addition, the wider public sector will be encouraged and supported in using the new framework with the expectation that all schools and hospitals will, in future, serve more locally reared meats and freshly picked fruit and vegetables.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: "This move will mean that food served in canteens across the public sector can be more local, seasonal and tastier. It will help drive growth in Britain’s first class food and drink industry and benefit the environment through reduced waste, higher take-up of meals and less unappetising food left on plates. This is a huge boost to British farmers and producers and for students, patients and employees who want to enjoy fantastic food."

Public sector buyers will now judge potential suppliers against key criteria, including how food is produced and whether the food was produced locally, the nutritional content, the resource efficiency of producing it, quality of service and value for money. 

In addition to backing local and sustainable food, the new standards prioritise procurement from smaller producers and the plan, published following Dr Peter Bonfield's review into public produce procurement which was commissioned by Defra last year, has already generated support from organisations including the National Farmers Union, the Food and Drink Federation and major catering companies who supply food across the public sector.

Dr Bonfield said; "I want this work to change how every public institution views the food it buys – we have had a great deal of support from schools, hospitals, businesses, caterers, and farmers, all keen to be a part of this exciting new approach. The appetite for change is there - by creating the right environment and giving organisations the right tools, small businesses will be able to sell nutritious, top quality food to the public sector market. This is the right approach for our health, our environment and also British businesses."

A Plan for Public Procurement can be read in full at www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-public-procurement-food-and-catering