PUBLIC PROCUREMENT UPDATES
Brought to you by kind permission of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming
JULY 05
FLUK regional best practice seminars
The sustainable food network Food Links UK has been awarded a grant by Defra's Food Procurement Unit to deliver regional best practice seminars for practitioners leading or developing sustainable food procurement initiatives in their regions. Seminars will deal with what works, what doesn't, and why, framed within themes of supply chain logistics, sustainability standards and contracts and building consumer demand. A web-site will be developed later this year to help disseminate best practice and will link to the Alimenterra trans-Atlantic project (see below). Details from Tully Wakeman at East Anglis Food Link tully@eafl.org.uk
Growing the logo
Apples used in the free school fruit scheme have been grown (in Brazil) with stencils which show the government's 5-A-Day logo (see picture, courtesy of PASA).
SDC launches international web-exchange
The Sustainable Development Commission have set up an international sustainable development e-forum on yahoo. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/international-sd/ or for queries email Harriet Festing, Head of Communications at the SDC Harriet.festing@sd-commission.org.uk
US news
The United States Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (a member organisation of Healthcare Without Harm) has launched a report called Healthy Food, Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Communities (May 2005) which includes cases studies and practical tips for getting more sustainable or healthier food into hospitals. Ideas include having hospital farmers markets and spiltting up catering contracts. Further details from www.iatp.org
Natural foods at medical centre. To read how Kaiser Permanente has augmented its recent focus on healthy eating and organic food by opening a Food Mil-Food Farma’acy store in its flagship Oakland Medical Center complex see the story by Chris Rauber, San Francisco Business Times: http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2005/02/07/newscolumn9.html
Schools in New Jersey will be banned from allowing children access to junk foods from 1 September 2007. Schools must decide on a nutrition plan by 1 September 2006 and put this into effect by the following year (New York Times, 7.6.05, p1).
Food for Health & Livelihoods
The European sustainable food network Alimenterra (www.alimenterra.org) is running a trans-Atlantic programme of sharing best practice in sustainable public food procurement called Food For Health and Livelihoods. A part of the programme, Dan Fox, President of the New York-based Milbank Foundation, a research body concerned with health and health policy, visited London's Royal Brompton Hospital in July, to get an overview of NHS food procurement in the UK and hear about the Sustain-Soil Association Hospital Food Project. The meeting was hosted by Mike Duckett the RBH catering manager, with Emma Hockridge, Sustain's Hospital Food Project co-ordinator, Paul Winter for the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Darian McBain, Head of Policy at PASA.
A second meeting of the European partners took place on 19th July in Paris hosted by the mayor of the 2nd Arrondissement. Details from Emma Hockridge emma@sustainweb.org
Sustainable care catering grant
Sustain and the National Association of Care Catering have been awarded a small grant by Defra's Public Food Unit in order to develop a sustainable procurement policy, briefing paper and scoping strategy for a supply chain pilot. Details from Dan Keech at Sustain dk@sustainweb.org
The Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2004 and chapter on public food procurement.
The The Government's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, published on 19 July his Annual Report for 2004: "On the State of Public Health". It is available for downloading at http://www.dh.gov.uk/cmo and copies can also be obtained from DH Publications on 08701 555 455.
In Chapter 3, "A fresh look: Realigning food procurement in the public sector", Sir Liam highlights the scope to improve health and promote a sustainable food chain through public sector procurement of food. Recommendations include:
- The methodology for demonstrating value for money in government procurement policy should be broadened to include long term health benefits and sustainable development.
- All public sector food procurers should come together to agree much more creative specifications for contracts for to supply food and catering, incorporating nutritional criteria.
- Public sector food purchasers should make local trade groups, business support organisations and local suppliers aware of forthcoming tender and supply opportunities, building on the progress already made through the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative.
- The proportion of high-quality local suppliers of food through the public sector should be increased substantially.
- Seasonality should be embraced and incorporated into supply calendars, rather than specifying a standard year-round supply.
- Public sector food buyers should be given training and guidance on the impact of food and diet upon health and on the principles of sustainable purchasing.
- The Food Standards Agency's current review of nutritional standards in public institutions should be used as a basis for action and the FSA should continue to track progress on reform of public sector food procurement and purchasing.
Local Education Authorities collaborating on local food
Heads of Catering from 7 of the 10 East of England Local Education Authorities have agreed to work together, with East Anglia Food Link, on a programme of work to increase the use of sustainable and local food in their school meals. http://www.eafl.org.uk/default.asp?topic=SpiceSeven
Consultation on the draft Regulations for EC Procurement Directives
OGC's Procurement Policy Unit has started a 12 week consultation on the draft Regulations implementing the new EC Procurement Directives. Draft Regulations along with the consultation document, transposition tables and links to the text of the Directives are available on http://www.ogc.gov.uk/index.asp?docid=1003745 The deadline for responses is 12th September 2005.
Forum on appellations of origins
The European Commission (DG Trade) has opened an Internet online Forum on "appellations of origins, a place for speciality products in world trade?" You can join this online Forum and contribute to the debate at http://trade-info.cec.eu.int/forum_ao/list.cfm
Preventing Childhood Obesity
A new British Medical Association (BMA) report, 'Preventing Childhood Obesity', is calling for restrictions on unhealthy food in schools, which would include banning machines that sell sweets and fizzy drinks; strict guidelines on the fat and sugar content in meals; and an end to junk food advertising that is aimed at children. The report also revealed that there are three million obese schoolchildren in the EU, a third of which are in Britain. Almost one in three children in Scotland is overweight by the age of 12. The report outlines the future health risks confronting obese youngsters (Scotsman, 2pp). See the report on: www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/content/ChildhoodObesity
School dinners using local food bring benefits, but there isn’t enough for everyone
Local food on the menu in Oxfordshire schools can cut costs, benefit the local economy and be better for the environment too. But the chronic shortage of producers and growers in the Thames Valley, means that many schools will not be able to take advantage of the benefits of local food.
A three-month trial in schools across the Thames Valley carried out by Oxford Brookes University on behalf of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes, and Oxfordshire (BBO) Food Groups revealed:
· 20% reduction in the cost of food to an Oxfordshire school
· £2,700 worth of benefit to the local economy
· 69% reduction in food miles
The project’s final report ‘Eating Local Food in Thames Valley Schools’ is published on www.local-food.net website.
Further information, photographs and logos are available from: Tamara Schiopu, BBO Food Groups Coordinator on 01865 484116 and e-mail localfood@brookes.ac.uk
Support package to improve food safety standards and protect health
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reported in a Food Standards Agency Newsletter, 23.5.05, 2pp, that it has launched a GBP10m support package, to be used by local authorities in England to promote new initiatives to improve food-safety standards and protect the health of the public. The money will be spent over 3 years to provide local-authority enforcement officers, support and resources to help catering businesses, especially small businesses, implement the FSA's new 'Safer food, better business' food-safety management system. New legislation will require all food firms to have in place HACCP-based food-safety management systems.
Online Sustainable Food Guide
A new website has been launched to give information on food issues and to outline a quality system to plan and promote more sustainable food. Visit: www.sustainablefood.com/guide
New standards and policies for better school food
New Nutrient-based standards for school food for England and Wales has been launched on 23 June by the Caroline Walker Trust (CWT) and National Heart Forum (NHF). The report proposes stringent nutrient-based standards for all food in schools which are based on up-to-date scientific evidence and nutritional advice. The launch is timed to coincide with the government's current review of school meals which follows in the wake of Jamie Oliver's Feed me Better school food campaign and the announcement of an additional £280 million government investment in school food. To read summary report visit: www.cwt.org.uk
Scottish school dining down
Source: Leatherhead Food International Editorial, 1, 8/6/2005
A study of children's eating habits in Scotland has shown that fewer children are now eating school dinners, despite new improved menus. In general, uptake of school dinners was down 2% from 49% to 47%, although there was a 10% increase in uptake in Dundee. It was also found that only two-thirds of children entitled to free school meals were using their entitlement. An extra GBP63m has been spent on improving meals, providing access to free chilled water and fresh fruit (BBC News Scotland, 2pp).
Chicken nuggets the sickening truth
Source: Daily Mail, 36-37, 24/06/2005. A lengthy article by Fran Abrams, who goes undercover to work at Padley factory in Grantham, which makes chicken burgers and nuggets, as well as processing chicken for Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, KFC and school meals, is presented. Ms Abrams reports on the induction to the factory, health and safety issues, hygiene and procedures, many of which she considers to be ineffective or non-existent. Details of the manufacturing process and the 'horrors' that were uncovered are given in graphic detail.
EVENTS
Social enterprise conference in Taunton
Somerset Food Links and the Co-op have organised a one-day conference on social enterprise approaches in the local food sector, to take place in Taunton on 19th September. Bookings can be made via the SFL web-site www.foodlinks.org.uk To download the leaflet with more details click on: http://www.localfoodworks.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/0/ff50c54010e3de6d8025701f0058c96b/$FILE/Final%20Flier.pdf
One-day Conference on Peak Oil, Food and Economy
On 11 October 2005, in London, a major conference will look at the peak oil problem and its impact on climate change, the world's food supply and the world economy. The conference is being organised by East Anglia Food Link, CRed, Sustain and PowerSwitch It is aimed at policy-makers, business people, NGOs and individuals who use energy or eat food. The event will be chaired by Dr Ian Gibson, MP, Chair of the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Commons.
Speakers include
Michael Meacher MP - Former Environment Minister
Chris Skrebowski - Editor, Petroleum Review
Tim Lang - Professor of Food Policy, City University
Andrew Simms - Policy Director, New Economics Foundation
Richard Douthwaite - Author of “When the Wells Run Dry”
Keith Tovey - Reader in Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
The conference will take place at The Insurance Hall, London EC2 from 09:30 to 4:00.
The fee (including lunch) is
* £50 for private-sector and public-sector organisations
* £25 for NGOs and individuals
For more information and a booking form visit www.eafl.org.uk/oil
European Conference on Local and Regional Food
Local and Regional Food, a project currently running in Sweden, is going to arrange an European conference in September. The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for politicians, officials and representatives from the food production and processing industries to meet and discuss the future of local food. To find out more visit: http://www.livsmedelssverige.org/conference/index.html
The Sixth International Public Market Conference
Project for Public Spaces has being organising The Sixth International Public Market Conference that will be held in Washington DC on 28 – 31 October 2005. Conference is supported by Ford Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. More details on: http://www.pps.org/markets/markets_news/6th_markets/
PUBLICATIONS
A new approach to public sector food procurement
At the recent ‘Supply and buy Wales’ conference in Llandrindod Wells on 27th April, the Welsh Procurement Initiative published a book of case studies. It is available on Organic Centre Wale website at: http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/schoolsnet/casestudies/wpi2005.pdf
Extended schools
Department for Education and Skills has published prospectus that sets out the government's vision for extended schools, helping and supporting schools to work with parents and the wider community. It includes a timetable, funding and sources of practical support available. To download:
http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/Extended%20schools%20prospectus.pdf
New report on food miles and sustainable development published
A new report which shows that food transport has a significant and growing impact on road congestion, road accidents, climate change, noise and air pollution has been published by Defra on 15 July. The report estimates that the social and environmental costs of food transport are around £9 billion every year, with more than half the costs due to road congestion.
Food transport now accounts for 25 percent of all Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) kilometres in the UK, and consumers travel an average of 898 miles a year by car to shop for food. Since 1974 the quantity of food transported by HGVs has doubled. In 2002, food transport produced 19 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, of which 10 Million tonnes were emitted in the UK and 9 million tonnes were generated by food imports. This represents 1.8 percent of the total annual emissions of carbon dioxide. The report shows that in general, higher levels of vehicle activity lead to higher environmental impacts. However, the mode, timing, location and efficiency of food transport are all as important as the distance travelled.
The Government is consulting on proposals to reduce the environmental and social impacts of food transport by 20 percent by 2012.
Further information and report in full at http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2005/food-0715.htm or http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050715a.htm
Welsh Organic Trade Directory
The Welsh Organic Trade Directory, compiled by Organic Centre Wales, has been launched to help buyers source organic and local organic food for businesses, schools, hospitals or catering units. The directory lists by product category organic producers and processors in Wales who wish to supply public sector institutions and caterers with high quality, organic ingredients. Visit: www.organic.aber.ac.uk/tradedirectory
MAY 05
Compiled by Daniel Keech, Sustainable Food Chains, Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming
Tel: 020 7837 1228 (Wed & Thur) or 01225 787921 (Mon, Tues, Fri)
EAT WELL, EAT FRESH AND EAT SLOWLY