Backing local food with public spend

This article originally appeared on LBC Opinion.

With a global trade war looming, and the UK relying on imports for roughly 40% of its food, we are reminded – once again – of the fragility of our reliance on global supply chains. In that light, the government’s pledge that at least 50% of public sector food spending – worth £5bn annually – will go to UK suppliers seems all the more relevant. But how realistic is that promise? And what would it take to make it happen?

Even The Archers, the world’s long-running soap opera, has picked up on the issue. Farmers are struggling, squeezed by supermarket giants and rising costs. Meanwhile, more families than ever rely on food banks, childhood obesity is soaring, and the climate crisis demands urgent action to rethink how we produce and distribute food. Yet, instead of investing in local supply chains, public money continues to flow to large national suppliers.

“two-thirds […] goes to large suppliers based outside the city”

In Sheffield, a recent study by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), ShefFood and the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food examined how public sector institutions – schools, hospitals, universities – could play a bigger role in supporting local food systems. These institutions spend £14m a year on food, but two-thirds of that goes to large suppliers based outside the city. Why? Because budgetary pressures, staff capacity constraints and restrictive procurement rules make it difficult for public bodies to buy food from local producers.

On top of that, although some money is being spent locally, we don’t know how much food is local. A third of public sector food spending in Sheffield already supports local suppliers – particularly in dairy, fruit and vegetables, bakery goods, meat and cheese. However, many of these suppliers are wholesalers sourcing food from national and international markets, and data was not available on the ultimate source of food. At the national level, similar data issues will make it difficult to track whether Labour’s 50% UK sourcing target is being met. More transparency and better data are needed.

What needs to change?

The public sector has enormous potential to support a fairer, more sustainable food system. But to unlock that potential, institutions need to work together. They should co-ordinate their demand, set clear targets for local and sustainable sourcing, and remove the bureaucratic barriers that prevent small suppliers from getting contracts.

“prioritising products that are already available locally”

Quick wins are possible. Public bodies should start by prioritising products that are already available locally. They should also demand that big suppliers source more food from regional producers and make it easier for small businesses to get onto approved supplier lists. Best-practice procurement guides could help, as could “meet the buyer” events to connect local farmers with public sector purchasers.

In the longer term, the public sector should rethink its menus to align with seasonal, locally available food. A local buying standard, co-developed with councils and food producers, could help shift purchasing priorities. And it’s not just about buying food – public bodies could also support local food businesses in other ways, from offering social enterprises cheap rent on university and hospital premises to allocating council-owned land for regenerative farming.

“there are clear opportunities”

Structural change won’t happen overnight, but there are clear opportunities. As school meal contracts expire, for example, local authorities should consider taking catering in-house, as it is in Lancashire. Eventually, councils, hospitals and universities could even collaborate on shared purchasing or set up a central catering facility serving multiple institutions, supplied by local producers working together to meet demand.

We have a choice: continue relying on a fragile food system that puts profits before people or build something better. The threat of a global trade war and associated supply chain disruptions should be a wake-up call. If we act now, we can invest in local food systems that are resilient, fair and good for the planet. Public money should work for the public good – not just for the bottom line of big food corporations.