Why Sustainable Food
Each year the government spends £1 billion on food for the public sector. Of this amount, approximately £320 million is spent on food in schools (1). School Food Matters would like to see that money spent on sustainable school food.
Food and Drink Industry’s overall environmental impact accounts for 20-30% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions (2). So what can we do to reduce this impact?
At SFM we follow Sustain's 7 Principles of Sustainable Food. We believe that if more schools and caterers adopt these principles we can deliver climate friendly school meals that reduce the negative environmental, social and economic consequences of producing food.
Sustain’s 7 Principles of Sustainable Food:
- Use local, seasonally available ingredients as standard, to minimise energy used in food production, transport and storage.
- Specify food from farming systems that minimise harm to the environment, such as certified organic produce.
- Limit foods of animal origin (meat, dairy products and eggs) as livestock farming is one of the most significant contributors to climate change. Instead, promote meals rich in fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholegrains and nuts. Ensure that meat, dairy products and eggs are produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards.
- Exclude fish species identified as most 'at risk' by the Marine Conservation Society, and choose fish only from sustainable sources - such as those accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council.
- Choose Fairtrade-certified products for foods and drinks imported from poorer countries, to ensure a fair deal for disadvantaged producers.
- Avoid bottled water and instead serve plain or filtered tap water in reusable jugs or bottles, to minimise transport and packaging waste.
- Promote health and well-being by cooking with generous portions of vegetables, fruit and starchy staples like wholegrains, cutting down on salt, fats and oils, and cutting out artificial additives.
Sustain's Good Food on the Public Plate programme has been working with public sector organisations ranging from borough catering services for schools, universities, hospitals and major employers like the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London. The myth that sustainable food and the public sector are incompatible due to cost or EU procurement law has been proved untrue. Organisations are now writing sustainability requirements into tenders for food supply and catering services resulting in better food at affordable prices.
Climate friendly food can benefit the economy as well as the environment.
The Food for Life Partnership estimates that if 3,600 primary and secondary schools sourced 50% local and 30% organic produce (FFLP Gold Mark) this would create a new market for local and organic produce worth £66 million (3).
In addition, money spent on locally produced food has been found to generate more than twice as much income for the local economy compared to the same amount spent in a typical supermarket. A New Economic Foundation survey found that every £10 spent with a local food initiative is worth £25 for the local area. (4)
“Climate friendly” school meals go beyond nutrient based standards to ensure meals are freshly prepared from largely unprocessed, seasonal, locally sourced and organic ingredients with meat and dairy served in moderation.
The Food for Life Partnership estimates that 100% take-up of climate friendly meals would cost £734 million pounds in government subsidy plus an additional £262 million for new school kitchens but that’s a fraction of the £10 billion annual NHS bill paid out for diet related diseases (5).
(1) Good Food For Our Money, Sustain 2011
(2) How Low Can We Go? An Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope to reduce them by 2050. WWF - UK and FCRN. Audsley E et al 2009
(3) Food for Life Partnership FAQs: October 2007
(4) NEF: Plugging the Leaks: August 2001
(5) Food for Life Partnership: Six steps to transform school food culture; how a school food culture revolution can beat obesity and climate change