Food for Life caterers back UK-grown fruit and veg
Each year, the UK public sector spends approximately £2.4 billion on food procurement and catering services. How much of that money supports UK fruit and veg production?
There are 2.6 billion meals served in the UK public sector each year – 1.9 billion in England alone – each plate a microcosm of the UK’s food system. With so many of us eating this food, it has the power to rebalance the scales and empower local growers and producers.
Taxpayer money should be spent on putting UK-grown fruits, veg and pulses on plates across the country. Prioritising food grown here empowers local growers, boosts local economies and gives millions of people access to healthy and sustainable food.
In collaboration with The Wildlife Trusts and Sustain, we authored "Home-grown A roadmap to resilient fruit and vegetable production in England". The report highlights that only 17% of the fruit we eat in the UK is grown here, whilst 49% of growers are worried they’ll go out of business in a year.
We make recommendations on how to harness the power of public sector procurement, using our Food for Life Served Here caterers' certification as a blueprint. These recommendations include
- Government Buying Standards to be mandated and enforced across the public sector
- Investing in dynamic procurement
- Align and improve School Food Standards and Government Buying Standards
- Expand the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
We know these recommendations are possible because we work with over 6,500 caterers who spend £51,900,000* on UK-grown produce each year, serving over 1.5 million meals per day. Whether in schools or hospitals, they’re serving food which meets Food for Life Served Here Standards within tight budgets: freshly prepared, locally sourced, seasonal and high welfare.
With these caterers setting the example, the government need to introduce similar standards for public procurement. This will heighten demand for locally grown, seasonal and sustainable food and see a return on investment of £4.41 for every £1 spent*.
A future where seasonal, locally grown and sustainable food is accessible to all is possible. We’ve led the way for the past twenty years. Now it’s time for the government to use this proven approach to make UK-wide changes to our food system, starting with empowering local fruit and veg growers.
Report co-author and Soil Association senior policy officer Lucia Monje-Jelfs said ‘In the UK, consumption of fruit and veg at its lowest in 50 years, and our diets are costing the NHS billions every year. We need to be eating more healthy produce, and in doing so we could be supporting the country’s growers – but we can’t do it alone. The new government must urgently help to scale up nature-friendly fruit and veg production, like organic, and improve access to this healthy and sustainable food across the country – starting in schools and other public settings.’