Evidence Review: International comparisons of higher environmental production standards in public sector food procurement

The Government has a manifesto commitment which sets ambition for at least half of all food purchased by the public sector to be produced locally or certified to higher environmental standards. Our aim is therefore to develop evidence-based policies to increase the amount of environmentally sustainable food in the public sector to support delivery of the manifesto commitment and maximise the benefits derived from the £4.9bn annual public spend on public sector food procurement.

Defra would like to develop an understanding of how other World Trade Organisation (WTO) signatory countries define HEPS, as well as the strategies used by them to increase the proportion of HEPS-equivalent food (organic or integrated farm management certifications) procured by the public sector. This includes considering the extent to which increased domestic production of HEPS-equivalent food is instrumental in increasing the procurement of HEPS-equivalent food in the public sector or, conversely, how increasing HEPS-equivalent targets in public procurement affects domestic HEPS-equivalent production and key markets. Increasing our understanding and evidence base of what has worked elsewhere, what needs to be true to replicate successes and how the UK situation differs will enable us to draw from established examples in developing our own approach to increasing the proportion of HEPS food in the public sector in England.