ENCOURAGING BEST PRACTICE IN THE FOOD PROCUREMENT SUPPLY CHAINS OF EDUCATION

We are scoping out the potential for delivery against the following set of objectives within the 24/25 financial year across education settings in England. The approximate budget would be £5m.<br/>• Encouraging best practice in education sector food procurement<br/>• Support education settings in beginning their journey to meeting the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services without mandating them in education settings<br/>• Encourage sourcing of food in education settings which is produced to higher environmental production and animal welfare standards<br/>• Encouraging sourcing of food in education settings from a more diverse range of suppliers, particularly from SMEs, to better support local economies, increase resilience, and encourage food producers to innovate<br/>• Encourage food procurement practices in education settings that can involve pupils in a way that supports their health, education and relationship with food and farming (e.g. educational visits to farms)<br/>• Improve understanding in educations settings of the challenges related to food production and why supporting local food producers is important<br/>• Encourage greater use of local and seasonal produce in education sector procurement practices in support of farmers<br/>• Reducing food waste in schools<br/>• Increase transparency of food supply chains in schools to drive continuous improvement and build our understanding of what is bought, served, sold and wasted