LONDON — More U.K. government agencies are sourcing domestically produced food, according to statistics released on Feb. 26 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (D.E.F.R.A.).
Thirteen out of 21 departments have increased the amount of home-grown food they serve, and on average more than 90% of the milk, whole eggs and whole potatoes come from Britain.
Soldiers on active service eat only British pork and fish; hospital patients are only served bread made in the U.K.; and only a small proportion of the cheese served in prisons comes from abroad. Government departments, on average, used 7% more British bacon in 2008-09 than in 2007-08.
“Government departments are looking at how they can increase the amount of food they serve which is high-quality enough to meet Assured Farm Standards, or has been fairly traded,” said Jim Fitzpatrick, Food and Farming Minister. “We also know that there’s a big market there for local and seasonal producers in this country.”
Titled “The proportion of domestically produced food used by government departments,” the study covers the period from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009.