Government backing for organic food could deliver huge health and economic returns, new report finds
A small increase in government support for organic fruit and vegetables could deliver huge national returns for communities across the UK – and failure to act will deepen the UK’s diet, climate and farming crises – according to a new Bridging the Gap report from Sustain.
Drawing on nine pilots across the UK – including two in Wales – the report shows that connecting organic, sustainably grown produce from small and medium-sized farms with low-income households can generate £8.78 in social value for every £1 of public investment, matched with £1.10 from shoppers. The returns include £3.11 in better health, £3.94 in stronger communities, £1.44 in local economic growth and 29p in climate and nature benefits.
The programme achieved this by closing the price gap on locally grown organic produce and creating steady demand through shops, school meals and voucher schemes. This kept money circulating locally, secured fair prices for growers and boosted local markets. Shoppers ate better, felt healthier and more connected – and because the food was organic and sourced nearby, its environmental footprint dropped.
Setting out three priority actions, the report calls for urgent steps to fix and grow the UK’s fruit, veg and pulse sector:
- Boost British production
Expand home-grown supply through coordinated horticulture strategies and targeted support for small and organic farmers. - Repair the “missing middle”
Invest in the local food infrastructure needed to get produce from field to market and strengthen supply-chain rules to ensure fair prices. - Improve access for everyone
Use the state’s £5bn school and hospital food budget to create guaranteed markets for organic and local produce, and scale schemes that help low-income households afford healthy food.
The programme showed that barriers can be overcome, and identified clear routes to scale, through real-world trials, data, modelling and the strategic use of public-sector food contracts.
What’s more, the findings dismantle the assumption that organic food is only for better-off households. In Liverpool and Knowsley, areas often described as “food deserts”, a partnership with the mobile greengrocer Queen of Greens now gives 700 people a week access to organic produce they previously couldn’t afford.
Environmental benefits were significant too. In Aberdeen, adding organic split peas from local farmer Phil Swire to a popular school meal, traditional mince, cut emissions by 42% without reducing children’s uptake.
With the Labour Government elected on a pledge that 50% of publicly procured food will be local or meet higher environmental standards, Sustain says the direction is clear: “It’s time to honour that pledge.”
Hannah Gibbs, Programme Manager at Sustain, is calling on the government to investigate scaling up these successful pilots so millions more people in the UK could benefit from healthy and sustainable food. She says:
“Our broken food system is damaging nature and the environment and failing to provide people with the nutritious food that they need to lead healthy lives. Government must listen to these inspiring solutions and scale them up, by investing in the growth of climate-friendly horticulture, supporting the local small businesses who supply good food and securing a market for nature-friendly produce through public sector food.”
Anna Taylor, CEO of The Food Foundation says:
“Too many people in Britain find fruit and veg either unaffordable or unavailable in their neighbourhood, let alone being able to get produce from a local farm. These pilots provide crucial insight into what can be done to change this; insight which is hugely valuable as the government develops its food strategy. Being able to access quality fruit and veg from a local producer should be something everyone in Britain can enjoy, not just a privileged few. This work shows just how many people operating in communities across the country want to make this possible, but they face very basic barriers. Barriers which government should be helping them to overcome. The benefits are multitude for farmers, citizens and communities.”
Simon Kenton-Lake, Senior Officer at Nourish Scotland, says:
“The Give Peas A Chance pilot in Aberdeen effectively set up new supply chains to stimulate the market for getting organics peas onto the public plate. With Scotland due to publish its first National Good Food Nation Plan by the end of this year, to become the first UK-nation to have a comprehensive food plan, this is a prime example of how taking a systems approach to food will help Scotland to achieve its Good Food Nation ambitions.”
Liverpool MP Ian Byrne said:
“It’s been great to see this pilot come together in my constituency. Just because people live in cities doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to fresh fruit and veg from local farms. Good food for all is a right, and it’s interventions like these that can really make the difference to the health and wellbeing of people on low incomes, as well boosting a sense of local community and connection”
Katie Palmer, founder and Head of Food Sense Wales explains:
“Everyone should be able to access and afford food that is good for them and that’s produced in a way that protects nature and the climate. That’s why in Wales, we’ve been testing approaches that build local organic supply chains into schools – through Welsh Veg in Schools – and support those on low incomes to shop in a dignified way by building social connections at Cardiff Farmers markets, through Cardiff’s Planet Card. Welsh Government’s recent £3m commitment to organic farming reinforces these approaches, recognising the need to support farmers producing high-quality, locally grown vegetables for communities and school meals.”
Ends
Contact: Hannah Gibbs, Hannah.gibbs@sustainweb.org
Kiloran O’Leary, Kiloran@sustainweb.org
Sustain is a powerful alliance of organisations and communities working together for a better system of food, farming and fishing, and cultivating the movement for change. www.sustainweb.org
