‘Most’ organisations aim to buy local food

Apr 25 2008 by Tom Patterson, The Journal

A CLA survey into public and private sector food procurement policies reveals two-thirds of organisations aim to buy British or local produce.

Furthermore, almost 60% would consider changing their food-buying practices to include more local food products.

Yet we are told that only 2% of food procured by the public sector is produced locally. CLA president Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: “These results illustrate the enormous gulf between intentions and reality in the procurement of local food, particularly in the public sector.

“While I am pleasantly surprised the perception of organisations towards local food is shifting, they need to translate their good intentions into actual procurement of local foods.

“The CLA believes consumers benefit both in terms of the environment as well as in the quality of the product if it is sourced locally. This message is beginning to be grasped by those in the public and private sectors but with there being only 2% of public sector procurement, there is a long way to go.

“Along with our work on the CLA’s Just Ask campaign, encouraging the public to ask where the food on their plate comes from when eating out, it is essential that the public’s increasing desire to buy local is embraced by our public and private bodies.” The results of the survey showed:

A major barrier still remains cost and value for money;

More than 80% of dairy products purchased are British;

Nearly 50% of food origins are communicated on packs or labels;

10%, however, do not communicate the origin at all;

Communicating food origins can be impractical.