A growing number of people (me included) are worried about secure energy supplies, but not new Labour or the Con Dems who are quite happy to leave energy planning and energy supply to the whims of the 'free market'. We should also spare a thought for 'food security'.
Food security is nothing new, back in 1996, the World Food Summit defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. The World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledge that the concept of food security is defined as including both physical and economic access to food that meets people's dietary needs as well as their food preferences.
All very fine and day you may say, but, what does that have to do with us? Well, quite a lot actually, the especially as the UK produces 73% of 'indigenous-type foods’ (home grown to you and me), and is about 60% self-sufficient when exports and local consumption are set against production. It's also worth noting that UK consumers spend an average of £420 per household on food each year that they then throw away, or 4.1M tonnes of food nationally.
Every day we bin 4.4M apples, 5.1M potatoes, 2.8M tomatoes and 1.6M bananas. 2009 Wrap data suggests £12Bn worth is binned every year in the UK, or around £680 for the average family when drinks and liquid food is included. In Wales at least, as noted by Leanne Wood Plaid AM, South Wales Central, serious efforts are being made to cut waste (if we had the proper powers then we could make an even better job of it).
The rise in global food prices will have an impact on the cost of living and the prices we pay for our food. The cost of Global food prices quietly rose to a new high in December last year, according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Its Food Price Index went above the previous record of 2008 that saw prices spark riots in several countries.
Soaring sugar, cereal and oil prices had driven the rise, the report said. The index (produced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) measures monthly price changes for a food basket composed of dairy, meat and sugar, cereals and oilseeds, averaged 214.7 points last month, up from 206 points in November and also noted that prices had risen for six consecutive months.
At the end of the day, rising food prices will bring little or scant benefit to our own or more distant food producers because often they are being short changed by the Supermarkets (and some of their suppliers). They need a fair deal and so do we, that's something to ponder on when confronted by the increased cost of our basic foodstuffs.
Showing posts with label Welsh Publiuc Sector food purchasing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Welsh Publiuc Sector food purchasing. Show all posts
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Friday, 23 July 2010
GOING LOCAL
The good news for both farmers, suppliers and consumers is that the amount of Welsh-produced food bought by public sector bodies across Wales has risen over the last few years. A survey commissioned by the National Assembly Government has reported that almost half of all food and drink bought by schools, hospitals and local authorities in Wales is now of Welsh origin, while the amount of locally-produced food bought by the public sector has risen by 65.8% in the last six years.
The 2010 Welsh Public Sector Food Purchasing survey reveals that Local authorities have increased their purchases of local food by 90.5% over the last six years. Key categories include bread, milk, fruit and vegetables, ready meals, soft drinks, dairy products and water. The NHS (in Wales) purchases 69% of the food and drink products in Wales, when it comes to milk on average, 50.9% of all the milk purchased by Welsh local authorities for schools is locally-produced.
When it comes to Welsh purchases in higher education, accounted for 41.3% in 2009, compared with 28.7% in 2003, in the field of further education some,e 39.6% of purchases were of Welsh origin, up from a previous figure of 16.8%. The survey reveals that the only organisations to have bought less Welsh food than previously were the MoD and the Welsh Police Forces, which saw a 0.4% decrease in Welsh origin purchases.
One of the priorities of the Welsh Assembly Government, that was set out in One Wales was a Local Sourcing Action Plan, to encourage local procurement of food and drink by the public sector. The plan to encourage more local purchasing which will leads to money being reinvested in local communities and local businesses. This also leads to a reduction in food miles, reduces carbon emissions which helps to fight climate change.
The Plaid driven One Wales government strategy has begun a process that should lead to real social, economic and environmental benefits for our communities beginning the process by keeping the money spent in the local economy. This commitment to sustainable development is a good example of how local investment can provide a range of benefits across the whole of Wales benefiting local farmers, local suppliers and producers and local people.
The 2010 Welsh Public Sector Food Purchasing survey reveals that Local authorities have increased their purchases of local food by 90.5% over the last six years. Key categories include bread, milk, fruit and vegetables, ready meals, soft drinks, dairy products and water. The NHS (in Wales) purchases 69% of the food and drink products in Wales, when it comes to milk on average, 50.9% of all the milk purchased by Welsh local authorities for schools is locally-produced.
When it comes to Welsh purchases in higher education, accounted for 41.3% in 2009, compared with 28.7% in 2003, in the field of further education some,e 39.6% of purchases were of Welsh origin, up from a previous figure of 16.8%. The survey reveals that the only organisations to have bought less Welsh food than previously were the MoD and the Welsh Police Forces, which saw a 0.4% decrease in Welsh origin purchases.
One of the priorities of the Welsh Assembly Government, that was set out in One Wales was a Local Sourcing Action Plan, to encourage local procurement of food and drink by the public sector. The plan to encourage more local purchasing which will leads to money being reinvested in local communities and local businesses. This also leads to a reduction in food miles, reduces carbon emissions which helps to fight climate change.
The Plaid driven One Wales government strategy has begun a process that should lead to real social, economic and environmental benefits for our communities beginning the process by keeping the money spent in the local economy. This commitment to sustainable development is a good example of how local investment can provide a range of benefits across the whole of Wales benefiting local farmers, local suppliers and producers and local people.
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