The following key questions are
provided to help structure responses to the consultation on the Quality
of Food Task and Finish Group Report.&=
nbsp;
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If you are responding on behalf of an organisation=
or
group please give the name of the organisation here and your contact details
below.
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Name: |
Susan Fowler |
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Position/Job Title: |
Policy Officer |
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Name of Organisation: |
Organic Centre Wales on behalf of the Agri-Food
Organic Strategy Group |
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Address: |
c/o Institute of Rural Sciences, |
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Postcode: |
SY23 3AL |
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Email Address: |
smf@aber.ac.uk |
1.&n=
bsp;
Do y=
ou
agree with the three ethical principles?
Ö Yes &=
nbsp; ¨ No
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Comments |
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Diets can be unsafe even when individual items of
food are safe. It is worth
stating that food intake should contribute to the health and well being of
the consumers. Dietary advice is probably the most important factor here.=
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2.&n=
bsp;
Do y=
ou
agree with the seven priority issues for food quality in
Ö Yes=
¨ No
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Comments |
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It may be helpful to replace ‘Fair
Trade’ with ‘Citizenship’ – to encourage the noti=
on
that by appropriate purchasing, the consumer can influence environmental
issues as well as social and animal welfare and take responsibility for t=
heir
choices. |
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3.&n=
bsp;
Do y=
ou
agree with the challenges and gaps identified?
Ö Yes &=
nbsp; ¨ No
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Comments |
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The importance of increasing local fruit and vegetable production =
is
paramount. Improving the su=
pply
chain for fresh produce will not help much in the current situation of low
production. The ‘gap’ by the Organic Sector box should include
increasing understanding of what organic food is, particularly for lower
income families and work to increase demand. |
4.&n=
bsp;
What=
can
you or your organisation contribute to resolving the challenges and gaps
identified in the report?
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Pro=
duction: support
increased organic production, including fruit and vegetables. Pro=
cessing,
manufacturing: Organic processing reduces the number of additives and processing
aids with the intention of improving the nutritional value and authentici=
ty
of the products. Dis=
tribution
and supply: The Organic Sector is preparing a Supply Chain Efficiency project
under Axis 1 of the Rural Development Plan. Ret=
ailing
and catering: provide information and training on organic food and farming for
caterers. Facilitate the
increased provision of organic and local produce to the hospitality secto=
r. Pur=
chasing
food: support local authorities in procuring organic food; publish
information on sustainability benefits of organic food for local authorit=
ies
and consumers Food
preparation, eating and drinking: contribute to public education on food product=
ion
(awareness of environmental, cultural significance etc) via publications =
and
events, especially local food fairs and farmers markets. Was=
te/disposal: Build on
work already carried out by organic farmers, with regard to anaerobic
digesters and resource conservation. Edu=
cation – =
work
with schools to teach children about food production, through farm visits,
demonstration farm meals, gardening etc, bringing in the
environmental/cultural/political aspects of food, not just healthy eating=
. Res=
earch – =
Organic
Centre Wales’ remit is to provide information to all levels of the
supply chain. We have acces=
s to a
database of published research concerning organic food and farming which =
we
can help disseminate. |
5.&n=
bsp;
Can =
you
identify any other challenges and gaps and how would you or your organisati=
on
contribute to solving them?
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We need more public education about food product=
ion
to enable people to make choices that will benefit biodiversity, reduce
ecological footprint, regenerate the local economy and so on, as well as
improving health which is already well recognized. Organic Centre Wales produces information for
consumers which addresses some of these wider issues. We are working with
schools in particular to organize school meal events which create links w=
ith
local farmers, which have educational and cultural benefit and could also
lead to purchasing contracts in the future. Our work with the hospitality se=
ctor
and local tourist agencies will be continued and expanded to other areas,
creating further links with local organic producers. |
6.&n=
bsp;
Plea=
se
list your top ten priority actions for improving the quality of food in
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1. More support for organic production |
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2. More fruit and vegetable production |
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3. Targets for sustainable food procurement in t=
he
public sector |
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4. Education in schools on food production (farm=
ing,
gardening, processing) |
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5. More investment in school meals (training,
equipment, dining facilities) |
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6. Increased support for more local outlets to
supply fresh fruit and vegetables to consumers |
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7. Cooking projects to support changes to diets
– ideally linked with vegetable purchasing schemes. |
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9. Mapping of availability of fresh fruit and
vegetables – (see 6) |
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10. Inclusion of food purchasing and production
issues (environmental, social, nutritional) in ‘citizenship’
classes in schools. |
7.&n=
bsp;
Do y=
ou
have any further comments to make on the document?
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Comments |
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We endorse the comments follow=
ing
the review of 10 years of the Scottish Diet Action Plan (SDAP) concerning=
the
need for actions linked to policy outcomes or targets. (page 11) |
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Targets such as those adopted by participants in=
the
Soil Association’s Food for Life programme (75% unprocessed, 50% lo=
cal
and 30% organic) provide such a direction of travel without being binding=
and
encourage documentation and monitoring of progress. |
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It is important to engage swiftly in the long te=
rm
task of engaging children in food production and understanding the produc=
tion
process and taking responsibility for their purchasing decisions both for
their own health and for that of the environment. |
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Organic food should not only be associated with
premium and branded products.
There is much work to be done in educating parents in the use of f=
resh
fruit and vegetables in food preparation, and such projects should include
organic produce. Most consu=
mers
make their initial organic purchases in fruit and vegetables, perhaps bec=
ause
of taste and flavour. In
understanding more about cooking and healthy ingredients, dietary
improvements often follow with increased consumption of fruit and vegetab=
les.
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