Background to the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative

If we are what we eat, then public sector food purchasers help shape the lives of millions of people. In hospitals, schools, prisons, and canteens around the country, good food helps maintain good health, promote healing rates and improve concentration and behaviour.  
 
But sustainable food procurement isn't just about better nutrition. It's about where the food comes from, how it's produced and transported, and where it ends up. It's about food quality, safety and choice.  
 
Most of all, it's about defining best value in its broadest sense. Money well spent on food budgets now will make longer term savings in other budgets. It creates a better environment, and promotes healthier and more prosperous communities.  

• Serving nutritious food aids patient recovery and makes hospital beds available quicker
• Increasing opportunities for local producers helps maintain employment and foster thriving communities
• Specifying organic food and other methods of production that protect the environment and safeguard animal welfare helps ensure a flourishing countryside.

The Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative: Theory into practice

Since its launch in 2003, the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) has highlighted practical ways in which the public sector's £1.8 billion annual food budget can help deliver "a world-class sustainable farming and food sector that contributes to a better environment and healthier and prosperous communities".  

The PSFPI's objectives

The aim of the Initiative is to encourage public sector buyers to work with farmers, growers and suppliers to ensure more sustainable food is consumed in hospitals, schools, prisons and canteens.  
 
It has the following six priority objectives:  

• Promote food safety, including high standards of hygiene
• Increase the consumption of healthy and nutritious food
• Improve the sustainability and efficiency of production, processing and distribution
• Increase tenders from small and local producers and their ability to do business
• Increase cooperation among buyers, producers and along supply chains
• Improve sustainability and efficiency of public food procurement and catering services

Other important objectives include: 

• Influence consumers' behaviour to reduce the impacts of food consumption
• Increase the demand for organic food
• Promote animal welfare
• Improve choice for ethnic minority, cultural and religious groups
• Better working conditions for catering staff
• Fair treatment of suppliers
• Improve data collection and measurement of performance

More details on the PSFPI guidance are available in the DEFRA publication "Putting it into practice" 
 
PSFPI Policy Guidance Nov 07