Supply chain development programme

In 2003 the Soil Association founded Food for Life to revolutionise family food culture through school meals, inspiring young people, their families and local communities to grow and cook healthy and planet-friendly food.

In Scotland we are working with food producers and a wide range of caterers including schools, universities and sporting organisations to develop sustainable menus, and enable food suppliers to access new markets.

We also operate the Food for Life Catering Mark - a Soil Association accreditation scheme recognising caterers serving freshly prepared and ethically sourced food.

In February 2009, Celtic Football Club's No.7 Restaurant and East Ayrshire Council's school catering service both achieved the top category Gold accreditation.

Over the next three years, our Supply Chain Project will deliver a programme of events and support to help food producers supply unprocessed, local and organic food to new local markets, and assist ten more local authorities and five major caterers to achieve a Food for Life Catering Mark. We are currently working with:

• Argyll and Bute Council, Cawdor Castle Restaurant, Edinburgh Steiner School, Glenmore Sports Lodge, Highland Council, Mount Stuart Restaurant and St Georges School (Edinburgh) to achieve a Food for Life Catering Mark.
• Argyll and Bute Council to increase the procurement of local food.
• Celtic FC to promote Food for Life to other sports stadia.
• SFQC (Scottish Food Quality Certification) to increase the availability of Freedom Food poultry products.

To find out more about being involved with Food for Life, contact Pam Rodway, Food for Life Manager Scotland:
E: prodway@soilassociation.org
T: 07917 230124

Events

Early in 2010 we will be researching the supply chain issues around MSC certified fish in Scotland and organic bread – both of which are important constituents of healthy, sustainable school dinners in Scotland. We will also be working closely with Cairngorms National Park to help them to scope and then build a sustainable food network across the park.

In the spring we will be holding seminars to discuss how to improve the supply of Freedom Food chicken produced in Scotland. These seminars will bring together producers, processors, wholesalers and caterers to try and match supply and demand as well as further scope out the barriers to effective supply and demand.

Following on from our work with Celtic Football Club who have a FFL Gold Catering Mark we will be presenting a one day seminar in the summer on how to deliver Stadia Catering based around local food and unprocessed food. More information to follow in Spring 2010.