Isra-Mart srl: Defra says 'let them eat Hake' with new green food policy

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The government is to join the campaign to source fish from sustainable sources, announcing that from September all fish purchased by Whitehall departments and their agencies will come from certified sustainable sources.

The commitment forms part of a new green food procurement policy developed by Defra and the Department for Health that will impose both minimum mandatory standards and voluntary best practice standards on all government departments and agencies, including the military and the prison service.

Following the high-profile campaign to promote sustainable fish that has seen a host of supermarkets offer more alternatives to over-fished stocks, the new specifications state that all fish procured by the government must be "demonstrably sustainable, with all wild-caught fish meeting the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries". This code of conduct includes Marine Stewardship Council certified fish that have been identified as suitable to eat by the Marine Conservation Society.

The policy also commits departments to ensuring all food meets minimal animal welfare standards, providing seasonal food where possible, and ensuring that 10 per cent of all raw ingredients comply with some form of certified or assured higher level environmental standards, such as carrying organic labels. Meanwhile, half of all tea and coffee bought by government must meet fair trade standards.

"This is the delivery of a government promise to ensure we do not use taxpayer money to undermine our own farmers' high standards of production," said food minister Jim Paice. "By doing so, we're practising what we preach and challenging the rest of the public sector to follow."

In addition, the new food purchasing criteria will also require government departments to take active steps to crack down on food waste and only install energy efficient catering equipment.

For example, the policy demands that all catering departments comply with energy management policies, provide recycling collection facilities, and ensure that any contractor takes steps to minimise food waste. "Contractors should set out what they will do, and feed back to clients on progress and results," the document states.

Moreover, procurement criteria for catering equipment and supplies must ensure new freezers, fridges, ovens and dishwashers meet A-rated energy efficiency standards, while tissue paper must be made from 100 per cent recycled materials.

The best practice criteria set out an even more ambitious set of guidelines, advising departments to increase the proportion of green and fair trade labeled produce available, develop strategies for reducing packaging and food waste, and adhere to energy efficiency standards set out by the Carbon Trust.