The Countryside Alliance has today published a comprehensive report into food procurement across the UK public sector, revealing that most government departments and councils are failing to monitor or prioritise British produce in their catering policies.
Based on over 200 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to government departments, local authorities and the British Armed Forces, the findings expose a worrying lack of transparency, accountability and ambition in supporting British farmers and food producers.
Out of 19 central government departments contacted, only one – the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – reported having a policy of deliberately procuring British food. Just one other, the Department for Health and Social Care, was able to confirm the proportion of food it had sourced from the UK (72% in 2023–24). The Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, admitted it held no data on the origin of the meat served to service personnel.
Of the 215 councils contacted, only 12% were able to provide data on how much of their food was produced in the UK. Scotland and Wales emerged as relative bright spots, with several councils benefiting from procurement frameworks that prioritise local and sustainable sourcing: namely Scotland Excel and the Welsh Public Sector Collaborative Food Group.
The Labour government has pledged that half of all food purchased across the public sector will be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. However, the report raises serious questions about whether that target can be met without robust policies, proper monitoring, and clear leadership from the top.
The Countryside Alliance is calling for public bodies to implement traceable, transparent procurement strategies that put local and British food at their heart. We urge Ministers to strengthen the Government Buying Standards and make local sourcing frameworks available across England, learning from Scottish and Welsh successes.
Countryside Alliance Parliament and Government Relations Manager, David Bean said:
“In the face of economic uncertainty, British farmers deserve more than warm words: they need meaningful, measurable action from the public sector,”
The Alliance is also encouraging councils to pass its pro-farming local food motion and to consider the wider benefits – environmental, economic and cultural – of keeping food supply chains short, sustainable and rooted in the countryside. Suffolk, Cornwall and Rutland are among those councils that have already voted through motions in the support of the policy.