Policiticans urged to do more to promote local produce

During a lunch featuring Welsh food at the House of Lords, Farmers Union of Wales president, Gareth Vaughan, said there had been a welcome growth in the amount of local produce procured by government bodies.

“For example, the amount of food procured locally by the NHS and the Ministry of Defence has increased by 12 and 16 per cent respectively over the last year.

“Yet many will find it astounding – and disgraceful – that just 19 per cent of lamb sourced by the MoD is British, while three-quarters of the lamb served in our hospitals is foreign.

“These figures show both a welcome movement in the right direction and a drastic need for government to properly commit to responsible procurement.

“According to Defra figures released earlier this year, UK food self sufficiency fell in 2007 to 60 per cent, while 25 per cent of food purchased is imported when it could be produced in the UK.”

• BEFORE giving evidence to a simultaneous Welsh Assembly rural affairs sub committee inquiry into food and food production being held in Mid Wales, Lorraine Howells, a member of the union’s finance and organisation committee, said recent welcome moves to support Welsh food were just a start.

But she insisted a great deal more remained to be done by all concerned.

“The need for more local procurement to support our own food and farming sector and reduce food miles is well recognised.

“It is highlighted in many government documents – yet some bodies and local authorities seem not to be interested,” she added.

“Many authorities have even driven people away from using local food businesses in our town centres by plastering the streets with double yellow lines.

“They seem happy enough to put the business rates up, but when it comes to facilitating local procurement for schools etc. the tendering process effectively excludes many small businesses.

“For years we have been told that European rules stand in the way of ensuring local procurement, but that just doesn't wash anymore, and Defra effectively confirmed this last year.

“What we need is a public sector that leads by example – a sector that recognises and publicises the environmental and economical merits of local sourcing and does not hide behind spurious arguments.

“Buying locally should be seen as an investment in our local environments and economies in order to provide our schoolchildren and others with the best food there is.

“The Welsh Assembly Government enforces animal welfare and environmental rules that are among the highest in the world.

“It is simply unacceptable that the NHS, MoDand many local authorities then go out and spend public money on food produced at standards that would be illegal in Wales.”

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