Quality Food and Sustainable Development: The Power of the Public Sector

Dr Roberta Sonnino

School of City and Regional Planning

Cardiff University

The Global Environmental Crisis

The Economic Impacts of the Global Environmental Crisis

According to the Stern Report (2006), climate change could push the global economy into the worst recession in recent history

It will cost the world ca. € 800 for every person on the planet, unless it is tackled within a decade

Dealing with the problem now would cost just 1% of the world’s GDP

Food and the Global Environmental Crisis

More than 100 billion gallons of oil used every year to manufacture food in the US

The average food item in the UK travels 5,000 miles (Pretty et al., 2005)

Food and the Global Environmental Crisis Expansion of “food deserts” Food and public health

In the US, the public health costs associated with malnutrition have reached $ 10 billion/year

In the UK, obesity and overweight cost some £ 7 billion/year

Need for a radical shift in existing patterns of production and consumption

Sustainable Development: Key Principles

Equity and justice Attempt to meet the basic needs of all human

beings while also recognizing the potential for imposing costs onto future generations

Democracy and participation Emerging vision of interconnected highly

participatory and low-impact communities Integration of environmental concerns into our

development strategies Effective environmental protection and successful

economic development are interdependent

Public Procurement and Sustainable Development

Enormous untapped potential of creative public procurement in fashioning sustainable economies in the EU, the public procurement spend amounts to ca.

16% of the gross domestic product; in the UK, the public sector spends ca. € 200

billion/year

Sustainable school meal systems can reduce diet-related health problems empower consumers create new markets for quality food provide environmental benefits

School Meals and Sustainable Development in the EU: The Context

There are some restrictions at the EU level principle of “non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality”

European regulations are NOT a barrier Contracting authorities may lay down special conditions relating to

the performance of a contract…The conditions governing the performance of a contract may, in particular, concern social and environmental considerations Art. 26 of the Public Sector Directive

If it is set out in a non-discriminatory way, there’s no doubt whatsoever that you can use as your technical specification that all foodstuff must be organic, full stop. […] It is legitimate to say “we want foodstuff that is not older than”, it’s a legitimate idea…If that means in practice that it will have to be locally-grown, so be it! It remains a legitimate criterion, but it is not a legitimate criterion if you say that it has to be produced within 10 kilometres from the school. Interview at DG INTERNAL MARKET

School Meals and Sustainable Development in the EU: The Context UK system obsessed with perceived cost-effectiveness and

“value for money” Gershon review of the public sector (1999) called for reform

to secure better value for money and said we should not accept a “green premium” while greening public procurement

In Italy, creative procurement policies shape and re-shape sustainable models of food consumption Finance Law 488/99: To guarantee the promotion of organic

agricultural production of ‘quality’ food products, public institutions that operate school and hospital canteens will provide in the daily diet the use of organic, typical and traditional products as well as those from denominated areas, taking into account the guidelines and other recommendations of the National Institute of Nutrition

The School Food Revolution in the UK The powerful forces of a cheap food culture

and a neo-liberal ideology transformed what should be considered as a public health service into a commercial venture

Abolition of nutritional standards and Compulsory Competitive Tendering in the 1980s Lower quality school food Loss of kitchen infrastructure in schools Reduction in the numbers and skill levels of

catering staff

The School Food Revolution: Hungry for Success in Scotland (2002)

New vision for school meals: Promoting the “whole school approach” Raising the quality and nutritional standards of the meals Re-imagining school meals as an educational and health

service Significant financial investment: £ 63.5 million (€ 95

million) for the years 2003-2006

The School Food Revolution in East Ayrshire

Deprived rural county of 120,000 6.1% of households have no

adult in employment and dependent children

40% of households have one or more people with a long-term illness

Far-sighted council working in the spirit of ‘joined-up thinking’

Goal of “environmental stewardship, connecting children with food and with where the food comes from” (R. Gourlay, Head of Catering)

The School Food Revolution in East Ayrshire In 2005, school meals in 12 of the County’s

45 primary schools were reformed: Pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit and vegetables

were increased to promote the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet

Fat, sugar, and salt were reduced Added colorings, artificial flavorings and GM-

foods were banned Fresh and unprocessed ingredients were

prioritized

The School Food Revolution in East Ayrshire

Strict “straightness” guidelines for class 1 vegetables made more flexible to attract organic suppliers

The bidding contract was divided into 9 lots

Innovative award criteria were introduced:

“ability to supply to deadlines”

“quality and range of foods offered”

“food handling arrangements and facilities”

“proposed use of resources”

The School Food Revolution in East Ayrshire: Creating a Shared Vision

I like the school [market], because […] if you educate them to good eating, then it starts to affect the whole structure of the economy. Later on, when they grow up and they have children, it gets passed on.

The School Food Revolution in East Ayrshire: Creating a Shared Vision

The business we do with East Ayrshire is very important to us in terms of dealing with a local customer, we don’t want to lose that customer […]. We need to look over each other. Children are the future of any company. Children are the future.

The School Food Revolution in East Ayrshire: The Benefits

Costs of a two-course meal: £ 2.38 (ca. € 3) 6 p (10 cents) difference

between buying off national contracts and buying locally

But re-localizing the food chain means: Multiplier effect of £ 160,000 (€

200,000) produced by 12 schools

Reducing food miles by 70%! Less packaging waste Improving children’s

knowledge of food Increasing users’ satisfaction

with the service

Food Miles

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Before Af ter

The School Food Revolution in Rome

Rome’s “quality” revolution began in 2001 New requirements introduced in the tendering

documents GM foods and most frozen vegetables banned Nutritionally-balanced meals Fresh, seasonal and organic fruit and

vegetables

The School Food Revolution in Rome

Innovative award criteria introduced to further develop the socio-environmental quality of the products and services offered “organizational characteristics” of the service

proposed “projects, interventions and services” to

reduce noise and promote food education capacity to supply additional organic products

The School Food Revolution in Rome

New stage in the Roman quality revolution started in 2004 Conservation, handling, cooking and distribution of the

food strictly regulated Mid-morning snacks introduced Menus diversified on the basis of children’s age Food seasonality and variety emphasized Special menus for children with special needs Fair Trade products introduced – 280,000 bananas and

140,000 chocolate bars/week Products from “bio-dedicated” food chains

Sustainable School Meals in Rome: The Process

2007-2012 tender School meals and social inclusion

Ethnic menus Leftovers to charity associations and animal shelters Incentives to source products from social cooperatives

School meals and environmental sustainability Recycling, low-impact detergents, bio-degradable plates “Guaranteed freshness” and food miles

The School Food Revolution in Rome

A meal cost € 5.23– parents pay on the basis of their income There is no real development without social

quality […] No single action can meet its objectives unless it takes place within a context in which the priority is […] a strong sense of community, a type of development that becomes real because the level of social inclusion increases (Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome, 2006)

The School Food Revolution: Some Final Thoughts

The school food revolution is a dynamic and creative process of change that shapes new values, mobilizes new resources and builds new communities

What we eat at school is a social, economic and environmental action that provides a unique opportunity to build our collective commitment to sustainable development