The CCRI, alongside our partners, the Gloucestershire Food and Farming Partnership, and number of local authorities and food networks, were successful in tendering for the opportunity to assess the viability of a Dynamic Food Procurement System (DFPS) for supplying the public plate in the Marches region. Dynamic Food Procurement is an innovative approach that has the potential to help local enterprises in the region supply a healthy and sustainable public plate, and is a is a legally permissible alternative to typical framework contracts.
Work was undertaken to engage with partners and key stakeholders in the Marches to identify their goals for food procurement, resulting in five shared priorities:
- Reducing carbon
- Valuing local economies
- Fostering sustainable production
- A healthy, high quality public plate
- Tackling food waste.
The researchers explored specific challenges for each priority, identifying the evidence required to assess whether a DFPS could have a positive impact.
Having looked in detail at how a DFPS’ operate, it was evident that implementing a DFPS would require both administrative and technological changes. Consideration was then given as to whether making the required would be practical for local authorities across a wide, rural cross-border area, and feasible within current regulatory contexts.
Alongside technological innovations, which can make a positive impact on food procurement our research recommends:
- An evolutionary approach.
- Establishing better baseline data to inform procurement decisions and track progress.
- Building a future roadmap to tailor practical solutions and supply-side requirements to specific objectives.
Funded by Monmouthshire County Council and NICRE, this project, led by Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins, took place over five months from November 2022, also involved colleagues Rob Berry and Lucy Barkley.
CCRI REF: 2022-018
