London’s wholesale market authorities have been reacting this week to the capital’s food strategy unveiled last week by Mayor Ken Livingstone.
“The London Food Strategy is a worthy and weighty document,” said David Smith, markets director at the Corporation of London, which owns New Spitalfields. “Anything that focuses attention on the health benefits for fresh produce and a healthy diet is welcome. But the strategy would benefit from a clearer recognition of the value added to the food supply chain by the wholesale food markets and their existing role as ‘food hubs’.”
The Corporation has already begun talks with the London Development Agency - the mayor’s agency for business and employment - to ensure that the role of its wholesale markets is fully understood.
Jan Lloyd, general manager of Covent Garden Market Authority also made reference to the “food hub” notion expounded in the strategy. “There are many themes in the strategy that we are keen to address ourselves, such as reconnecting with local producers,” said Lloyd. “There are certainly many synergies shared by the market with the strategy and one of the mayor’s stated plans is to establish local food distribution hubs. We expect to be fully included in this as that is our area of interest and expertise and where we can add most value.”
However, there is also criticism from the London wholesale sector that there was not more extensive consultation with the city’s wholesalers and research into the role played by them in bringing food to the capital’s tables. Some criticised the report for having been “hijacked by the organics and farmers’ markets lobby” while others indicated that in ignoring wholesalers so far, a large and hugely important link in the supply chain had been missed.
