Thursday, April 28, 2011

Fair Food Network

Fair Food Network is a US national nonprofit dedicated to building a more just and sustainable food system. We work at the intersection of food systems, sustainability, and social equity to provide access to healthy, fresh and sustainably grown food, especially in underserved communities. We implement model programs and bring the right people together to generate ideas, share resources, and promote policy changes to repair our food system. In the United States, we are faced with a broken food system that limits access to healthy, fresh, and sustainably grown food to many low-income families and under-served communities. We also see the brokenness of this system through the prevalence of diet-related illnesses and the steady increase of obesity in these communities, and the number of people who now rely on government food assistance.
Our land has also suffered from the broken system, as agricultural policies and practices have left areas of our planet literally lifeless. Unsustainable practices are the norm in our current food and agriculture system, in which the average plate of food eaten in our homes or restaurants travels 1,500 miles from where the food is grown.
But in the midst of the brokenness there is both opportunity and hope; hope in the fact that there is a movement underway to take back and re-design our food systems on a local level that can influence and advance food system approaches both nationally and globally.

Visit: Fair Food Network

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Buying social: Guidelines for Public Procurement

A guide on taking account of social considerations in public procurement.
The new guide is a very concrete tool to help public authorities to buy goods and services in a socially responsible way in line with EU rules. It also highlights the contribution public procurement can make to stimulate greater social inclusion.
Public procurement represents 17% of the GDP of EU Member States. While preserving competition and transparency, it may be used in a way to steer the market in a more socially responsible direction and thus contribute more generally to sustainable development.
The guide will allow public purchasers to integrate with greater confidence social considerations in public procurement, while ensuring equal access to all European interested bidders and guaranteeing an efficient use of public money. The exercise is in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy and the EU goals for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
The document is illustrated by a number of practical examples covering a broad range of social issues, such as promoting equal chances and employment opportunities, improving labour conditions, social inclusion of vulnerable persons, such as disabled persons, compliance in substance with the provisions of the fundamental ILO conventions, etc.
The Commission also published today another guide to help helps public authorities, especially at local level, to provide high quality and efficient services in line with the EU rules.

Source and More Info: European Commission

Friday, April 22, 2011

The atlantic network for a new local economy

Covering twenty territories, ANATOLE is creating chances for local economy, finding in the link between local policies and local abilities an answer to the new needs of local inhabitants.
Even if local representatives are keen to organise the local economy, they face a wide complexity (regulations, variations of products, seasonality, fashion…). Thus they need skills and prepared staff.

In their meetings and during this yer and a half, Anatole partnership has exchanged on their local experiences and good practices while implementing local actions involving stakeholders and decision-makers so as to promote local economy. Main topic: food needs, but others are at stake like energy, supplies or tourism.

A growing interest accompanies ANATOLE, as all stakeholders (councillors, producers, consummers, markets, shops, food factories) really want to get involved. Thus, Anatole, with the Conference of Atlantic Arc Cities support, is becoming a strategic contribution for the future of the Atlantic Area.