Public bodies should put their money where their mouths are, sustainable food expert tells UN

Governments, councils, schools and hospitals could use the billions they spend each year on food to improve health and fight climate change. That’s according to a University of Surrey academic.

Professor Roberta Sonnino is a leading expert on sustainable food and has been asked to give a keynote speech to a UN International Consultation in Rome next week.

Five years ago, I told the UN that food systems were not working for the planet, or for the world’s poor. Sadly, those words are just as true today as they were in 2019.

From poor quality hospital meals, to panicked shoppers emptying shelves during Covid, we can see that not enough thought is given to food by policy-makers.

Governments and other public bodies spend billions of dollars every year buying food. In some countries, public food procurement represents well over half the total budget on food. Imagine what an impact they could make on their communities and the planet if they chose responsibly sourced, healthy, local (as far as possible) produce. Professor Roberta Sonnino, Professor of Sustainable Food Systems

The event in Rome is organised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It aims to encourage those who spend public money on food to do so in a way that promotes health and increases the availability of nutritious and sustainable produced food.