- New cross-party report calls on the Government to update
public sector food procurement standards and support small
producers
The Government is missing the opportunity to support small
businesses, improve animal welfare and promote sustainability
within public sector rules for buying food. In its latest report,
Public
Sector Procurement of Food, the cross-party EFRA Committee
calls on the Government to pull its Buying Standards for Food
(GBSF) into the new decade, address outdated standards on
nutrition and animal welfare, and close loopholes in the existing
rules. Noting the startling lack of monitoring of existing food
procurement standards, including by Government departments and
NHS hospitals, the report also demands action to push bodies to
ensure compliance.
The Committee also expresses disappointment that Government
Buying Standards have not, thus far, been used as a vehicle to
support British producers. It urges the Government to place
greater focus on factors such as seasonality that would support
British producers within procurement rules. The report
recommends:
- That Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering
Services (GBSF) should be made mandatory across the public sector
in England, including in schools and local government, who are
currently merely 'encouraged' to comply.
- GBSF is updated to ensure that public bodies are encouraged
to source seasonal produce, therefore supporting British
producers. The report expresses 'disappointment' that the
Government has not used the GBSF as a mechanism to promote
"buying British" within the public sector, as is the norm within
public bodies in countries such as France.
- The introduction of Dynamic Purchasing Systems, which proved,
during a pilot run by Bath and North East Somerset Council, to be
cost-effective for public bodies whilst supporting small
enterprises, should be prioritised. Government pilots
demonstrated food costs did not increase when buying from local
SMEs.
- The immediate removal of an exemption to the GBSF which
permits deviation from the UK food production and animal welfare
standards in the case of 'significant increase in costs'. The
existence of this exemption, the use of which cannot be
quantified due to the lack of monitoring, may disincentivise food
suppliers from investing in food produced to high standards.
- The Government must update the GBSF, taking into account the
latest consumer preferences and industry practise on nutrition
and climate change. The report notes that standards currently
fall short of the industry norm in areas such as animal welfare,
and do not align with the Government’s target for net zero
emissions by 2050.
- Inspection bodies, such as the Care Quality Commission,
should monitor compliance with Government Buying Standards for
Food (GBSF) in their sectors.
, Chair of the EFRA Select Committee, said:
“The Government has a real opportunity to support high standards,
small businesses and British farmers through its food procurement
system. Our prisons, schools and hospitals spend billions each
year on food, yet government buying standards are not up to date
and remain poorly enforced.
“Our report found that ‘buying British’ does not have to be more
expensive - and at the same time we can support local, seasonally
produced food, which is often healthier for the consumer, has
lower food miles, and chimes with the Government’s own ‘net zero’
and future farming ambitions too.
“Government buying standards should therefore be urgently updated
and made mandatory across the public sector. If we fail to act,
ministers are in danger of paying mere lip-service to vital
policies and falling short of their manifesto promises ‘to
encourage the public sector to Buy British, support our farmers
and reduce environmental costs’ at the same time.”
A full copy of the report can be found here.
