Understanding Public Food Procurement in the HotSW region
23 August 2021 - 28 February 2022
PI/s in Exeter: Professor Matt Lobley
CI/s in Exeter: Dr Caroline Nye, Professor Harry G West, Dr Timothy Wilkinson
Research partners: NFU, DCC, SCC, CCC, HotSW LEP
Funding awarded: £39841.85
Sponsor(s): Devon County Council
About the research
It is increasingly recognised that effective public food procurement can provide a range of benefits including thriving local economy, and the supply of nutritious food for customers. Given the policy aim of increasing local/regional supply into public procurement it is vital to gain a more detailed understanding of the local public procurement ‘landscape’. With a geographical focus on the HoTSW area, this research will work with public procurement buyers, chiefs and cooks in public sector kitchens, and producers in order to understand:
- What Public Procurers currently buy?
- What would encourage Public Procurers to change current practices and source more locally?
- What are the opportunities and barriers to diverting existing production to public procurement within the HoTSW area?
- What are the opportunities and barriers switching existing production in order to facilitate greater local supply into public procurement?
