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The London Boroughs of Islington and Richmond-upon-Thames have been praised for “inspiring food leadership” for their work to promote healthy and sustainable food, in an audit of local authority food-related activities published today.

These two London boroughs are supporting community food growing, improving school food, helping residents reduce food waste, encouraging local food outlets to use healthier ingredients, and buying ethical food in schools and local authority canteens, including Fairtrade products, free range eggs and sustainable fish.

Eight more boroughs out of the total of 33 were praised for "making excellent progress on key food issues" – Camden, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Merton, Sutton, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest – achieving progress on all or most of the key food activities surveyed.

Meanwhile, six boroughs were highlighted as "lagging behind disappointingly on action to support healthy and sustainable food" – Bexley, Brent, Hillingdon, Lewisham, Newham and Westminster.

Ben Reynolds, director of the London Food Link network that carried out the survey explained more: "London Boroughs have a highly influential role to play in ensuring that the food we eat is safe, healthy and good for farmers and the planet.

"If all London Boroughs took the simple, affordable and effective action that we surveyed, it would significantly improve the health and well-being of Londoners, the livelihoods of farmers and other food providers, and the sustainability of the food system on which we all depend. So we were dismayed to find such huge differences between London Borough Councils and their support for healthy living and ethical food."

Kath Dalmeny, policy director of Sustain, an alliance of food and farming organisations, added: "This is the first time that such a thorough audit has been undertaken of what London Boroughs are doing to support good food. It is inspiring to see that almost a third of London's Boroughs have taken significant steps towards improving London's food system. But there is scope for London's Boroughs to do much more, particularly to promote local and sustainably produced food, and to tackle childhood obesity."

The Good Food for London report, containing seven maps comparing progress on key food issues by London Boroughs, has been sent to all 33 heads of London councils, local planning authorities and health, environment and procurement departments. It will be accompanied by offers of support by a range of charities and food experts to help London Boroughs rise to the good food challenge.

The audit will be repeated early in 2012 to track progress, with additional measures planned, for example to look at uptake of school meals, support for families living on a low income to buy good food, promoting good food in planning policy, use of real bread, help for local shops and markets, improving hospital food, and promoting a bee-friendly environment.