ENCOURAGING BEST PRACTICE IN THE FOOD PROCUREMENT SUPPLY CHAINS OF EDUCATION

We are scoping out the potential for delivery against the following set of objectives within the 24/25 financial year across education settings in England. The approximate budget would be £5m.
• Encouraging best practice in education sector food procurement
• Support education settings in beginning their journey to meeting the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services without mandating them in education settings
• Encourage sourcing of food in education settings which is produced to higher environmental production and animal welfare standards
• Encouraging sourcing of food in education settings from a more diverse range of suppliers, particularly from SMEs, to better support local economies, increase resilience, and encourage food producers to innovate
• Encourage food procurement practices in education settings that can involve pupils in a way that supports their health, education and relationship with food and farming (e.g. educational visits to farms)
• Improve understanding in educations settings of the challenges related to food production and why supporting local food producers is important
• Encourage greater use of local and seasonal produce in education sector procurement practices in support of farmers
• Reducing food waste in schools
• Increase transparency of food supply chains in schools to drive continuous improvement and build our understanding of what is bought, served, sold and wasted