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The ‘Campaigner guide: Local authorities, food and climate’ by Eating Better, Four Paws UK, Friends of the Earth, Soil Association and Sustain is designed to help people call for better public sector food, especially school meals.

According to the charities the public sector serves around one billion school meals every year, so harnessing its purchasing power could go a long way to making sustainable food part of the solution to the challenges we face from climate change and nature loss.

That means more locally grown and seasonal fruit and veg and ‘less and better’ meat and dairy from farms working to protect the natural environment and where animal welfare is prioritised. The current food system is responsible for over a third of global emissions, switching to sustainable menus in the public sector would benefit the planet and our own health.

Simon Billing, executive director at Eating Better said: “What we feed our children as they learn, or hospital patients while they recover, really matters. Currently our food system is working against us, not for us.

“This new guide will empower local campaigners to demand change to create a new, healthy and fair food system: more plants on menus, more home-grown, seasonal food and “less and better” meat and dairy from the best of British farms.”

The grants of up to £5,000 are open to any local food partnership, local authority, or community group based in the UK to campaign for meaningful change to the food system locally.

Ruth Westcott, climate change coordinator at Sustain, added: “Healthy and sustainable food is not a luxury, but an opportunity to support our farming communities and local businesses, tackle the climate and nature emergency and make citizens healthier. Local groups know what will make a difference in their area and we encourage people with exciting ideas about a better food system to apply for a grant.”

More information and guidance for applicants is available on Sustain’s website. The deadline for applications is 15th April 2022.