A small increase in government support for organic fruit and vegetables could deliver huge national returns for communities across the UK – and failure to act will deepen the UK’s diet, climate and farming crises – according to a new Bridging the Gap report from farming and good advocacy group, Sustain.
Drawing on nine pilots across the UK, the report shows that connecting organic, sustainably grown produce from small and medium-sized farms with low-income households can generate £8.78 in social value for every £1 of public investment, matched with £1.10 from shoppers.
The returns include £3.11 in better health, £3.94 in stronger communities, £1.44 in local economic growth and 29p in climate and nature benefits.
The programme achieved this by closing the price gap on locally grown organic produce and creating steady demand through shops, school meals and voucher schemes. This kept money circulating locally, secured fair prices for growers and boosted local markets. Shoppers ate better, felt healthier and more connected - and because the food was organic and sourced nearby, its environmental footprint dropped.
Setting out three priority actions, the report calls for urgent steps to fix and grow the UK’s fruit, veg and pulse sector by boosting British production, investing in local food infrastructure an improving access to healthier foods for all.
The report’s findings also dispel the assumption organic food is only for better-off households. In Liverpool and Knowsley, a partnership with the mobile greengrocer Queen of Greens now gives 700 people a week access to organic produce they previously couldn’t afford.
With the Labour Government elected on a pledge that 50% of publicly procured food will be local or meet higher environmental standards, Sustain says it’s time to honour that pledge.
Hannah Gibbs (left), programme manager, said: “Our broken food system is damaging nature and the environment and failing to provide people with the nutritious food that they need to lead healthy lives.
Anna Taylor, CEO of The Food Foundation added: “Too many people in Britain find fruit and veg either unaffordable or unavailable in their neighbourhood, let alone being able to get produce from a local farm.
“These pilots provide crucial insight into what can be done to change this; insight which is hugely valuable as the government develops its food strategy. Being able to access quality fruit and veg from a local producer should be something everyone in Britain can enjoy, not just a privileged few.”
“Just because people live in cities doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to fresh fruit and veg from local farms.”
Liverpool MP Ian Byrne concluded: “It’s been great to see this pilot come together in my constituency. Just because people live in cities doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to fresh fruit and veg from local farms. Good food for all is a right, and it’s interventions like these that can really make the difference to the health and wellbeing of people on low incomes, as well boosting a sense of local community and connection”
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