Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Paragraph: 41
The Government intends to support more sustainable land management and food production through provisions under...
Recommendation
The Government intends to support more sustainable land management and food production through provisions under the Agriculture Act 2020. It is therefore providing financial support for farmers who can demonstrate that they are producing food in ways that benefit the environment, enhance animal welfare and provide other public goods. It is therefore sensible to expect that the public sector provides a market for their produce. This is even more important at a time of disrupted trade relationships, the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on food security and the transition away from direct payments. The public sector and its suppliers should therefore be encouraged to source primary produce from domestic producers, within current rules. The Government should review and update the GBSF to ensure that public bodies are encouraged to source local, seasonal produce. The review should also consider the benefits of setting ambitious targets for how much food should be locally and seasonally sourced, how local should be defined and how progress towards targets will be monitored. Procuring organisations and suppliers will need guidance and support about the practicalities of how to achieve this and the Government should consult them on the most effective way to implement the updated GBSF.
Paragraph Reference:
41
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We welcome the Committee’s endorsement of the Future Food Framework (FFF) and look forward to progressing the pilot. The FFF supports the Government’s commitments on engaging with SMEs and enabling the public sector to buy more local food, and it is therefore an approach that we want to see succeed. Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has conducted a review of the project plan and continues to work on tactical solutions and a longer-term strategy that may positively impact the timelines. Key procurement activities have taken place from late 2020, and current timelines for delivery of the food commercial agreements indicate a fully live capability by the end of 2022. Whilst the final go live date has been delayed slightly beyond the June 2022 date noted during the EFRA hearings, the pilot is an exciting development and we are committed to progressing the platform as quickly as is feasible. Additional CCS resource has been brought onboard in May this year, and we hope this will expedite delivery of the commercial agreements. We will provide a written update to the Committee on the progress of the pilot by the end of December 2021.