Agenda item

Purpose of report:  To brief members of the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee on the Original Motion regarding the Whole System Food Strategy submitted to the Council meeting on 11 July 2023.

Witnesses:

Marisa Heath, Cabinet Member for Environment

Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Public Health

Katie Stewart, Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment, Infrastructure & Growth (EIG)

Carolyn McKenzie, Director for Environment

Katie McDonald, Natural Capital Group Manager

Negin Sarafraz, Public Health Principle

Cllr Lance Spencer, Committee Vice-Chairman

Key points made during the discussion:

1. The Cabinet Member for Environment suggested that the terminology ‘plant-based’ should not be used in the motion and instead terminology around reduction of meat consumptions and consuming other foods should be used.

2. The Public Health Principle, regarding language, outlined that plant-based food could imply processed food, which may not be healthy. Inclusivity needed to be ensured, such as for children with eating disorders.

3. The Vice-Chairman asked if the recommendation effectively encompassed what was put forward in resolution one. The Vice-Chairman brough attention to ‘Government Buying Standard for food and catering services’, rather than using the term plant based. The Public Health Principle explained that the food strategy supported the resolution. Terminology needed to indicate more fruit and vegetables, rather than using the term plant-based, which could be interpreted as the processed plant-based products. It was already included in the school curriculum to have conversations with children and families around food choices.

4. The Cabinet Member for Environment raised that the ‘buying standards’ was about buying sustainable and local food, rather than plant-based food. The recommendation was about using more sustainable food chains.

5. A Member asked whether it could be ensured that when catering contracts were tendered, there was a requirement to follow and deliver on the Council’s food strategy policies. The Cabinet Member for Environment explained that Compass Group (foodservice company) and others had their own ambitious sustainability objectives. Compass Group was aiming to achieve 50% non-meat products. These companies were on similar food strategy pathways to the Council, so it should not be difficult to challenge them on the topic.

6. Regarding the service recommendation to resolution two, the Vice-Chairman suggested that it did not reflect what the resolution was trying to achieve, which was to encourage schools to have meat-free Mondays. The Public Health Principle explained that the resolution was supported, but it was about making it inclusive for all children. Some schools were involved in meat-free Mondays, whereas others were not. A part of the food strategy would be to ensure that all schools were involved in this where there was the opportunity.

7. The Chairman of the Adults and Health Select Committee (AHSC) raised that there was a concern around how the motion would affect people in any form of social care. It was important that these people had a full choice and were not restricted. This was particularly important in areas of neurodiversity, mental health issues and those with dementia.

8. The Chairman asked if the whole system food strategy already supported a meat free Monday in schools. The Public Health Principle explained that the food strategy actions were still being developed, but If the language used was clear and considered inclusivity, the food strategy would support meat free Mondays.

9. The Cabinet Member for Environment, in relation to the Chairman of AHSC’s point, explained that the food strategy had to broadly think about the people the Chairman raised. People on low incomes would also be considered. Nutrition needed to be considered as well as sustainability, such as ensuring children were getting enough fibre in their diet which science had proved to be an issue. The strategy needed to be based on existing evidence around what the best diet was.

10. The Vice-Chairman suggested the recommendation be reworded to encompass resolution two after the meeting. The Cabinet Member for Environment concurred.

11. The Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Public Health agreed that the wording needed to change. The Cabinet Member also raised a point around education, and suggested the recommendation could include something around schools having conversations around what children wanted to eat rather than being prescriptive about what children could and could not eat. The Cabinet Member for Environment suggest something could be included around empowering schools to have a debate around the food strategy give schools choice.

12. A Member asked to what extent Local Authority guidelines and Surrey’s outreach to schools covered or included Academies. The Public Health Principle explained that most schools that were covered by the council and were not private had signed up to Surrey Healthy Schools and Eco-Schools.

13. A Member suggested polytunnels could be considered so the food growing season could be extended in schools.

14.  A Member asked what was meant by ‘facilitate a robust public involvement’, in the service recommendation for resolution 5. The Public Health Principle explained there were several roadshows, to get people to talk about food, which resulted in a want to ensure people were involved in the implementation of the whole system food strategy. This would provide the opportunity to ensure it was not a top-down strategy and action plan, and instead came from the community.

Resolved:

That the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee:

1. Notes the comprehensive work to develop the Surrey’s Whole System Food Strategy and the Surrey County Council Climate Change Strategy and the key ambition they set to make our local food system more sustainable, empower local people to make healthier food choices and reduce the impact of food system on climate change, and that these ambitions align closely with those set out in the Motion.

2. Agrees the Service recommendations for resolutions 1,3,4,5 of the Council Motion and that further work should take place outside of Committee to amend and agree resolution 2 of the Motion taking into account the Committee’s discussion and points made; and for the Committee to report to Council with recommendations in July 2024. 

3. Encourage development of KPIs to measure change on the ground (e.g. around sourcing of local food, length of food chain, quality of food supplied).

1.13pm Break was called.

1.28pm Meeting resumed.