Summary of the Report of the Public Consultation on Better food for London: the Mayor's Draft Food Strategy

Summary of Key Findings (supplied by Brook Lyndhurst)

This document represents an overview of the key themes that emerged from the consultation responses and the way in which they were dealt with. There were 948 submissions, many of which consisted of as many as fifteen separate points. This summary aims to tease out those issues on which there were:

• A significant number of comments
• Conflicting comments
• Significant changes required to the strategy

Each issue starts with an overview of the point(s) made in the consultation responses, followed by the action taken, if any, in amending the strategy. This document does not attempt to be, and indeed cannot hope to be, an exhaustive list of all those comments made during the consultation.

Organic Food

• There should be more emphasis on organic food
• There is too much emphasis on organic food, healthy benefits are unproven, etc.
• Action: Since there was pressure in both directions and since references to the benefits of organic food are qualified where necessary, broadly no change

The role of supermarkets

• Supermarkets need to be restrained; they are too powerful and damaging town centres and independent retailers
• The strategy does not sufficiently acknowledge the importance of supermarkets and the need to engage them
• Action: The negative impacts of supermarkets are registered in the Strategy, but it would be unrealistic to expect the Strategy to significantly affect the dominance of the major retailers. The need to work with the supermarkets was therefore acknowledged in the document and particularly in the implementation section:
  "The Strategy has already noted that just four major supermarkets account for 70 per cent of grocery sales in the UK. The scope for these retailers to achieve positive change is huge. Equally, if their involvement is not secured, the potential of the Strategy to make real improvements throughout the food chain will be severely constrained."

The use of the planning system

• More use of the planning system should be made to restrict fast food outlets, convenience stores near schools, supermarket outlets, etc
• The planning system should be used to protect markets, etc.
• Action: Strengthened some actions with regards to use of planning system 'where appropriate' but noted that Strategy will have to integrate with the London Plan and Mayoral Transport Strategy.

Funding

• A large number of respondents raised questions about funding the actions of the Strategy.
• Action: The audit document notes that the Strategy exists to make the case for funding and securing that funding will not occur until the implementation phase.

Food labelling/assurance schemes

• A large number of assurance schemes and labelling (such as the Red Tractor) were referenced in the responses and a number of respondents asked that particular schemes be endorsed by the Strategy.
• Action: It was felt that positively endorsing some systems and not others would be unfair and that it was not practical to list every one. References to this sort of food labelling have therefore been kept reasonably general.

Fish and alcohol

• A number of respondents felt that either fish or alcoholic drinks were not given as much prominence as they should have been.
• Action: This was supported both with regards to fish and alcohol and references were added for both.

International standards

• That British producers are disadvantaged because some foods imported into the UK do not have to meet the same ethical, environmental and safety standards that British produce does.
• Action: Added emphasis on the standards employed to produce the food eaten in London, but also noted the limits of the Food Strategy's London remit.

Salt, sugar, fats

• There were some complaints that not enough emphasis was placed on the dangers of excessive salt, sugar and fat consumption.
• Action: Added additional references to salt, sugar and fat and rearranged some existing references to emphasis the importance of these products.

Markets

• There were a large number of comments on the role of markets, mainly calling for their protection through the planning system (see above) and calling for additional support, particular in the event that a secondary food hub is developed.
• Action: In general it was felt that existing references to markets were sufficient and that some actions were exclusively focused upon support for markets of all kinds. In a small number of cases, however, this was made more explicit.

Choice and affordability v. sustainability

• Several respondents noted the dichotomy between choice and affordability and sustainability.
• Action: None, since both the strategy and the audit document acknowledge these tensions exist.

Health

• Inconsistent emphasis on health
• Action: Some evidence sections rearranged and expanded to ensure health is prominent throughout, particularly in relation to access, socio-economic differences, etc.

Food hub(s)

• Food hubs will damage existing wholesale outlets, do not take account of the possible response from or involvement of supermarkets, etc.
• Food hubs will drive the secondary food sector, ease some food access problems, provide a focus for regeneration, etc.
• Action: The strategy only endorses a feasibility study on food hubs. Given the breadth and variety of concerns expressed on this issue, this action is supported: further work is clearly required before any definite steps can be taken.

Diet and mental health

• The links between diet and mental health (including children's behaviour) should be emphasised.
• Action: After further investigation on this point, particularly looking at the current central government view on this issue, it was felt that the Strategy should acknowledge the possibility that diet and mental health are strongly linked, but should also acknowledge the incomplete nature of the evidence base. References were amended accordingly.

Already addressed

There were a huge number of comments that called for actions or references that were already included in the draft strategy. These sometimes resulted in minor tweaks to wording, but for the most part, no action was required. This was particularly relevant to skills and training, which the strategy already strongly supported.

Outside Strategy's remit

A number of comments called for actions at local, national or international level that fell outside of the London Strategy's remit. There were also a number of comments on policies covered by other Mayoral strategies. No action was taken on these points.

Specific actions and comments for implementation

There were an extremely large number of very detailed suggestions on possible actions. Since this does not fit with the strategy document itself but will be needed to fit into the action plan that will follow the strategy, these have been marked up and will be submitted to the LDA separately.

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