Farmers have welcomed a government commitment to buy British-sourced produce – and potentially help the UK food industry be £400m-a-year better off.

The National Farmers Union has described the Plan for Public Procurement buying standard - announced yesterday by Prime Minister David Cameron and new environment secretary Elizabeth Truss - as ‘a step in the right direction’.

From 2017 public sector buyers will now judge potential suppliers against five key criteria including where and how food is produced, the resource efficiency of producing the food in terms of water and energy consumption and how far it meets Government’s socio-economic priorities such as the involvement of SMEs.

According to the government, the public sector in England spends £1.2bn a year on food and drink, £600m of which is spent on imported produce.  It claims £400m of this could be sourced within the UK.

British farmers are expected to “benefit significantly” under the pledge as they are best placed to meet the tough new standards, the government said.

“Our long term economic plan is all about backing the do-ers and the hard workers and no one does more or works as hard in Britain today than our farmers,” said Cameron. “By opening up these contracts, we can help them create more jobs, invest in their businesses and make sure people in our country have a healthier lifestyle.”

NFU deputy President Minette Batters said: “With agriculture featuring on the new school curriculum for the first time, this procurement plan means children will not only be learning about how there food is produced, they will be able ‎to have more British food on their plates. I am also delighted to have such support across Government departments enabling them to more easily source British produce.”

The Plan for Public procurement follows Dr Peter Bonfield’s review into public produce procurement, which was commissioned by Defra last year.

The Food and Drink Federation and catering companies including Compass and Baxter Storey, which supply food across the public sector, are among those supporting the plan.

Dr Bonfield said: “The appetite for change is there – by creating the right environment and giving organisations the right tools, small businesses will be able to sell nutritious, top-quality food to the public sector. This is the right approach for our health, our environment and British businesses.”

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