The report, a collaboration between FoodWise Leeds, the University of Leeds, Lancaster University and FoodFutures (North Lancashire’s Sustainable Food Network), explores the role that anchor institutions can play in creating a better food system – one that underpins local food economies and the health of the earth’s ecosystems.
https://leedsfoodpartnership.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/ff-procurement-report-final.pdf
The reports’s key recommendations are:
For policy makers:
• Instead of guidelines, we need procurement regulation that embeds sustainability to deliver a better food system.
• Increased transparency and accessibility of data around food supply chains and food businesses is needed to support more sustainable procurement practice.
• Provide long-term investment to support public sector food procurement.
For institutions:
• Embed sustainability at the core of operations to empower and support procurement staff.
• Build links with other organisations to share expertise and knowledge around sustainable food procurement.
• Use holistic frameworks to guide food procurement principles and embed social, environmental and economic values into your policies.
• Share stories about what is being done to build wider institutional support and resources for responsible procurement.
For communities:
• Convene a food procurement working group to facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing between food procurement staff and local businesses.
• Look for opportunities to engage local sustainable food producers with local and national initiatives.
• Grow the local food economy so that a wide range of local, sustainably produced food is available for procurement.
• Take your values to work. Ask to see local and responsibly sourced food throughout your workplace.
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