City Research Online

Abstract

This report is part of the ‘Sustainable Food Procurement’ (SFP) project. This project aimed to examine the evidence for positive sustainability outcomes – defined broadly as reductions in carbon emissions and other improved environmental outcomes, economic benefits and health benefits – driven by changes to public-sector food services. The project involved a literature review of published evidence relating to sustainable food procurement, focusing on outcomes arising from implementation of public food service reform, wider food-system synergies and lessons learnt from around the world. Building upon the literature review, initial exploratory modelling was undertaken to understand the scale of possible impact which could be achieved by more widespread sustainable food procurement in England. In doing so, it presents original analysis of the scale of public food services, an important update to understanding the size of the opportunity which may have been previously under-recognised.
The rapid evidence assessment identifies the potential for food procurement schemes to deliver transformational impacts across both their institutions and the wider food system across multiple sustainability outcomes. In order to achieve this potential, new procurement policies must be successfully implemented and change what food is available and consumed in the institution. How to do this was well evidenced and synthesised into specific recommendations. Evidence of wider food system transformation across the three pillars of sustainability was more limited. Some encouraging positive evidence was identified regarding all three factors with opportunities for synergies, particularly in procurement from smaller producers and serving a menu which has a high share of fruits and vegetables, which has opportunities to provide healthy food with a lower GHG footprint whilst supporting local businesses. However, more work is needed to robustly measure, evaluate and understand how and in which situations and for which outcomes sustainable food procurement schemes can leverage transformational change.
This document is the main report and includes the research in considerable detail. It includes Appendices (section 7.0 onwards) detailing the methodology of the project. A shorter summary report is available which covers the key findings, including synthesis of findings for policymakers.

Publication Type:	Report
Additional Information:	Available under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Population Health & Policy
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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