The Eating out Guide

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Contents

Challenges Food Ethics, the magazine of the Food Ethics 04 Ethical consumerism Council, seeks to challenge accepted opinion and Dr Emma Roe | Marc Higgin spark fruitful debate about key issues and 09 How healthy is eating out developments in food and Dr Alan Maryon-Davis farming. Distributed quarterly to subscribers, each issue features 10 Fast food in the develping world independent news, comment and analysis. Neville Rigby The Food Ethics Council challenges 12 Work and employment government, business and the public to Dr Tony Royle tackle ethical issues in food and farming, 18 Business ethics providing research, analysis and tools to help. The Donald Sloan views of contributors to this magazine are not necessarily those of the Food Ethics Council or its members. The big question Please do not reproduce without 19 How good was your lunch? permission. Articles are copyright of the authors Jeanette Orrey | Peter Jackson | Carlo Petrini and images as credited. Unless Jeanette Longfield | Geetie Singh | Anita Goyal otherwise indicated, all other content is Martin Forsyth | Corinna Hawkes | Paul Roberts copyright of the Food Ethics Council 2008. Arthur Potts Dawson Editorial team: Ann Baldridge Solutions Liz Barling 24 Corporate responsibility Trang Du Michael Heasman Susan Kerry Bedell Tom MacMillan 27 Public procurement Helen Crawley Printed by: 29 Community catering PEP the Printers, Brighton Clare Devereux Printed on 80% post-consumer recycled paper. Produced with kind support from the Polden Puckham Charitable Comment Foundation 29 School dinners ISSN 1753-9056 George Lindars-Hammond

30 Food, faith and home Food Ethics Council Mike Rayner 39 - 41 Surrey Street Brighton BN1 3PB UK Regular features T: 0845 345 8574 or +44 (0) 1273 766 654 03 From the editor F: +44 (0) 1273 766 653 34 Book review [email protected] 35 Restaurant review www.foodethicscouncil.org Julia Hailes The Food Ethics Council, registered charity number 1101885 Cover image: © DNY59 From the editor Catering for ethics? Tom Macmillan

Eating out is one of the trends most countries, where fast food is expanding How to solve these problems? Michael profoundly affecting the food system. In apace. Mass catering also comes with its Heasman (p.24) and Don Sloan (p.18) are the UK, people now spend almost as much own environmental challenges, not only confident corporate responsibility can go a on eating out as on eating at home. In in logistics, where food service prides long way, citing cases such as Bon Appétit, China, YUM! Brands alone, which owns itself on efficiency, but in things as simple an impressive US offshoot of UK giant KFC, now has a $2 billion annual as the conveyor belt that is stocked full all Compass, and McDonald’s, which has won turnover. day, whether there is one person in a plaudits for improving its animal welfare restaurant or one hundred (p.35 for Julia and environmental standards. Yet the fact Most of us know little about the industry Hailes). The visibility, overt that McDonald’s is also the focus of Tony that wields this influence but after Fast industrialisation and sheer volume of Royle’s hard-hitting critique hints at the Food Nation, Supersize Me! and Jamie’s meat sold by fast food giants has made limits of voluntary initiatives: some School Dinners it would be nonsense to animal welfare a prominent issue for that problems, such as the pressures and fault- suggest catering is ignored. However it is part of the sector. And while the biggest lines in accountability that have driven often examined in isolation and left as caterers have less overall buying power franchisees to exploit their workers, seem little more than a footnote to analysis, than the biggest supermarkets, at least in integral to the sector’s economic success. policy and public outcry about the food the UK, that power is heavily focused on Those will only be solved by stronger system as a whole. particular products. government regulation. This edition of Food Ethics is devoted to The state’s other main influence on putting that right – an eating-out guide catering, beside regulating, is as a major with a difference. We have focused on Some problems, such as buyer and provider, to the tune of £2 billion catering but kept one eye on the rest of the pressures and fault- a year in England alone. This summer’s the sector, particularly on differences Food Matters report from the UK Cabinet between the ethical challenges faced by lines in accountability Office reiterated government’s need to get caterers and grocery retailers. that have driven its own house in order. Jeanette Orrey We begin with an overview of the catering franchisees to exploit (p.19) reports on St. Andrew’s Primary or ‘food service’ industry - its size, shape their workers, seem School in Shifnal, one of hundreds of UK and diversity, and how major fast food schools transforming their whole approach companies and contract caterers have integral to the sector’s to food. For Helen Crawley (p.27), the confronted or ignored issues ranging from economic success. priority for public health is tough, detailed animal welfare to healthy eating. The nutrition-based standards for caterers, remainder of the magazine explores including clear and simple labelling. specific problems facing catering, and On top of these variants of familiar food In parallel to the top-down efforts of major solutions to them, in greater depth. issues, service comes with its own distinctive problems, both for the people caterers and government, communities are There are two sets of problems: those to doing the serving and for the consumers taking matters into their own hands. Clare do with food and those to do with service. being served. The top 10 US fast food Devereux (p.29) catalogues a host of The food problems – how it is produced chains have over 5 million workers inspiring grassroots projects including and what consuming it does to us and to worldwide and, as Tony Royle (p 12) Brighton’s 20/20 Café, based in a our environment – echo those facing documents in depth, many are underpaid, community mental health centre, which supermarkets. The problems related to overworked, at risk of injury and insecure. trains service users in catering to NVQ level service are more distinctive even though and sells healthy, sustainable and affordable developments in retail – not least ready- For consumers, the key issues with service food into the bargain. made sandwiches and the supermarket are transparency and choice. As Emma Roe The prognosis? As people tighten their café – are mingling the two sectors (p.4) argues, it is in part because contract belts and purse-strings, some together. catering is shielded from the public’s gaze, and information about nutrition and commentators envisage a shift towards The range of food problems in catering is provenance is still rare on menus, that food more home-cooking, eating more veg and much the same as for the rest of the food service on the whole lags behind grocers in less meat, with benefits for health and for industry, including public health, tackling environmental and social the planet: as The Times put it, ‘Recession environmental damage, animal welfare problems. Yet, as she also points out, could work wonders for British diet’. But in and the power they wield as bulk buyers. consumers may be partly complicit, as the Summer ’08 edition of Food Ethics, Yet there are differences on each of these many seem to “leave their ethics behind” Adam Drenowski called this notion “the counts. As Alan Maryon-Davis (p.9) when they eat out. Choice is also a mixed arrogance of privilege”, arguing that “saving reminds us, the foods we eat out of the picture: caterers have come under fire on money on food translates into cheap empty home are on average fattier, saltier and health grounds for supersizing portions, calories and eating more… obesity is the more sugary than those we eat at home, yet the brand trust and limited menu of a toxic byproduct of economic distress”. If and lower in fruit and vegetables. Neville major chain like McDonald’s places it well fast food is as recession-proof as some Rigby (p.10) considers the effect this is to ‘edit’ consumers choices in the wider pundits claim, Drenowski may sadly be having in middle- and low-income public interest. proved right. -

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Dr Emma Roe It is widely recognised that ethical 1999 and 20052, with Western food consumerism is driving some parts of chains like McDonald’s, Pizza hut and Lecturer in Human Geography the food retail market, as retail brands Kentucky Fried Chicken arriving on at the University of actively market products based on the high streets of major Chinese Southampton. ethical credentials (whether Fairtrade, cities. [email protected] local food, organic food or improved In the UK people may go for a meal in animal welfare) to shoppers. a sit-down restaurant, grab some fast However, this active ethical food or a takeaway, dine in hotels, have Marc Higgin consumerism is much less obvious in a meal over a drink in a pub or visit the Research Associate in the the behaviour of consumers when they canteen at work. These many school of City and Regional opportunities to eat out are reflected eat outside the home. The catering Planning at Cardiff University. industry argues that the majority of in the size and shape of the UK consumers are primarily driven by the catering market. The food service [email protected] taste of food, convenience and the sector comprises all outlets involved in service they receive when eating out; the “provision of meals out of the Mintel report that just 2% of home”3, including restaurants, pubs There is no clear definition of the food respondents say they think through and office canteens. In 2006, the service and catering industry. It is ethical considerations when deciding Office of National Statistics announced either measured as part of the food and where to eat out.1 For many, restaurant that eating out expenditure had drink market or as a component of the standards on issues such as the welfare exceeded expenditure for food and hospitality market, in which case of farm animals, local food, and drink in the home.4 The total food and foreign tourists are also accounted for. Fairtrade are seen as an added bonus drink industry, according to the Office Government statistics only include VAT rather than essential criterion. of National Statistics Consumer Trends registered businesses and some small ,is £172 billion per year; of this figure, firms in the food service sector may Despite this there are a number of £82 billion per year is national therefore not be accounted for. Equally, examples of ethical food provisioning consumer expenditure on catering some statistical overviews include the and the availability of ethical products services.5 These figures include education and health care sectors, in the catering sector. However, to alcoholic beverages bought without a whereas others don’t. And where these identify the drivers for ethical meal. This figure is significantly larger sectors are included it is for non- provisioning we have to look further than a comparable estimate from the residential catering services, not for than the demands of restaurant, fast Expenditure and Food Survey which residential catering services. food or canteen customers. Why are would have come in at £28.7 billion in Residential public and private people eating out? What does the 2004/5, including £5.4bn of snacks.6 institutions including schools, global food catering industry look like? And to complicate things further hospitals, prisons and the armed Who is interested in making ‘ethics’ Horizons for Success, a market services may use private contract- more visible in the food service research agency, gives total food and catering services and are often industry, and why? What types of food drink sales (excluding drinks not excluded from statistics on the food are more likely to be sold along served as part of a meal, and packaged service industry as they operate on a ‘ethical’ lines? What counts as ‘ethical’ snacks not sold with another item of different commercial basis. in the food service sector? food), across restaurants, fast food, The global structure of the industry Eating out in the UK pubs, hotels, leisure, staff catering, health care, education and the services Market analysts Keynote estimate that People in the UK are increasingly for 2007, as £39.4 billion.7 The UK the global food service industry is eating their meals outside the home. catering market in 2007 supported dominated by the North American The reasons are many – growing more than 110,000 companies, market, making up 40% of the £155bn affluence, changing patterns of provided employment for about 1.8 total, followed by Europe and Asia with employment, changing food culture, million people and accounted for around 30% each.11 The Chinese and the disappearance of the ‘stay at home’ almost 10% of total UK household Indian catering industries are huge and mother, the marketing of consumption expenditure.8 Small, may exceed this percentage but they are ‘convenience’, the loss of cooking skills independent companies dominate the hard to accurately account for. Around and so on. This shift towards eating sector; 88% have turnovers less than 45% of the foodservice market is out is not a uniquely British, European £500,000.9 Restaurants carry a third of outsourced to contract caterers (not fast or even western phenomenon but one this market, followed closely by fast food outlets, restaurants or pubs). that is being repeated across much of food and takeaways, with food service However, the proportion varies from the globe. For example in China fast management or contract catering at around 30% in Europe to 50% in other food sales more than doubled between 12%.10 parts of the world, including North

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12 America. Eastern European countries fall spending on eating out; the European products in a supermarket retail chain. well below the 2006 European market average is 5.1%, but this dips to 1.7% in The food service industry, unlike the food retail industry, is not dominated by average of 30%. Poland and rises to 9.4% in Malta. sales of branded packaged food Across Asia the fast food take-away The contract catering industry has some products. In contrast, the food service food market is growing rapidly, very large global players; the largest are or catering industry is characterised by especially sales of western food as Compass Group PLC, Aramark Ltd and the bulk purchase and movement of raw Sodexho. These global food service giants young people are eager to try non-Asian materials to be processed, cooked and operate both in the private and public cuisine. Fast food takeaway food is 14 prepared for immediate consumption, contract catering sectors, but their success more popular in Asia than in Europe. or for meals/food products to be chilled in some national markets is restricted by Unfortunately, the introduction of this or frozen for reheating in another national food cultures. For example in kind of food is thought to be leading to venue at a different time closer to the 15 southern and eastern European countries, rising obesity figures across Asia. intended consumer. Where ethical food the contract-catering service is As one would expect from such a produce is introduced into a supply fragmented with a number of family- chain, such as free-range eggs, Freedom 13 diverse sector, the different supply owned businesses operating in the public networks behind the scenes are hugely Food chicken or Rainforest Alliance and private sector. complex and varied. This highly orange juice, this difference has to be preserved through bulk purchasing and The size and scale of the restaurant and fragmented industry involves a complex processing systems for eggs, chicken or fast food sectors, country by country, can network of abattoirs, food orange juice. in part be explained by the tourism manufacturers, processors, wholesalers industry and in part by the percentage of and distributors that operates alongside Ethical market and, in some places, overlaps with the household incomes spent on eating out. Over the last decade, the size and scope food supermarket retail supply Countries like France, Spain and the US, of the food retail markets for locally networks. For example, the flank and which receive large numbers of produced, seasonal, organic produce, international tourists also have larger forequarters of a beef carcass may be farm animal welfare, non-GM, restaurant and fast food sectors. Across used to make beef-burgers for a fast sustainable farming practices and so on the 27 European countries there are food chain, whereas the other cuts may has increased markedly with rising significant differences in household enter various prime, mince or processed public awareness and concern over

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these issues as well as increasing be understood as driven by the In the past ten years, the organisations affluence and active marketing of corporate social responsibility agendas that certify the industry according to products along these lines. of the public insitutions and private specific ethical criteria have themselves sector companies involved, who are But, in general, it would be fair to say become important drivers in eager to be seen to address ethical that the catering industry is a long way developing a market for their labelled values.16 behind food retail in addressing these products. Perhaps the most successful issues, in terms of what is available to As we’ll see in later articles, leading is the uptake of fair-trade coffee in the consumers at the point of purchase. global fast food brands like McDonald’s food service sector. This can partly be explained by are taking the lead in setting corporate The Fairtrade Foundation made a consumer behaviour. As both the social responsibility targets that they decision to bypass the individual academic and marketing literature hope will, on the one hand, spare them consumer and instead target public and point out, people tend to ‘leave their the negative publicity of media private institutions directly17; in other ethics behind’ when they go out to eat. ‘exposés’ and on the other, add value to words, they’ve gone direct to the bulk The issue of labelling ethical products buyers of coffee with influence over a is also transformed when a food item is large number of consumers. Although sold through a menu, as opposed to on the Fairtrade Foundation has a low a retail shelf. Currently, there is no marketing budget, this tactic has seen regulatory push, and only a light In general, marketing pull to make explicit the them harness the influence of local attributes of produce, whether about it would be fair to say authorities, corporate food businesses, its provenance, nutritional value, that the catering and increase the availability and size of traceability or production system. the fairtrade coffee market. industry is a long way Historically, the catering industry has The third area where we see brands had little interest in marketing the behind food retail in driving ethical provisioning is in the implicit quality attributes of the food demands made by public or private they serve. However, recently there has addressing these issues institutional customers to their been a noticeable trend towards ‘local’, in-house contract-caterers. Compass seasonal food on the menu, within Group PLC, a UK company with global catering (especially high-end operations, and the largest market restaurants) and contract catering their brand by positioning it to attract share in the UK, will, at a price, meet (school meals being the most dynamic a consumer base interested in ethical any specific ethical requirements that sector). Additionally, the use of specific brand values. McDonald’s received a customer demands for their menu. logos on menus that indicate some sustained attack in the 1990s A good example of this is the Google ethical status is increasingly evident in following the McLibel trial. Its UK headquarters in London, whose a range of eating establishments, response has been to push forward perhaps most notably in the branded ethical provisioning policies as a in-house restaurant is run by a chain restaurants, pubs and, cafes. The matter of priority in some parts of its subsidiary of the Compass Group. Fairtrade logo and the Rainforest global food operations. McDonald’s They procure food that is as far as Alliance logo have a growing presence UK, closely followed by McDonald’s possible local, seasonal and meets a in high-street and in-house branded Europe is leading the way. In the UK high standard of animal welfare. catering outlets. all fresh milk is organic, all coffee is Although Google is fairly unusual in seeing food service as an asset rather Brands drive ethical food provisioning Rainforest Alliance, and all eggs are free-range across the full-range of than a cost to their business (and is Recent evidence indicates that the meal options and condiments. thus willing to pay for higher biggest initiatives towards ethical standards), businesses are increasingly provisioning in the UK food service One of the challenges for McDonald’s seeing food service as falling within sector are in three areas. First, the in making these changes to their their broader corporate social activities of global food service/ provisioning policy is the careful responsibility, in particular with regard restaurant companies; second the promotion of them so they don’t deter to the working environment they promotional activities of ethical consumers who are attracted to their provide their staff. certifying bodies; and third, the cheap and fun brand values. Therefore demands that private and public the shift to all organic milk is subtly Constraints to ethical provisioning institutional customers place on marketed in stores, so some As well as consumers’ general lack of contract catering firms for particular consumers need not feel anxious that interest in ethical issues when eating types of ethical provisioning. These they are paying extra, which out, there are other important barriers initiatives are not a direct response to McDonald’s deny, for something they to the development of an ‘ethical’ individual consumer behaviour, but can feel they can’t afford. market within food service. Uniformity

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and consistency of product is Employment conditions different product provisioning policies something that the catering industry The global food industry often operate within chains operated by the values highly. To repeatedly be able to receives negative publicity for its same parent company; no doubt this is offer the same quality eating experience employment conditions. For the done with the intent to create unique – taste, texture, colour, smell – is catering industry not only is criticism selling points for branded restaurants. something prized above nearly made about the pay and conditions on However, employment policy everything else. With this requirement farms and in food-processing differentiation is yet to accompany comes a sourcing challenge that clashes factories, but also in fast food and this strategy of differentiation; it is with ethical provisioning aspirations. restaurant chains. Ethical concern not yet valued as a unique selling How do you consistently get a steak about employment conditions for point by the food service industry. that fits comfortably on a standard The efforts of the food service dinner plate from the ‘local’ UK industry to make more routine human national beef herd all through the year? interaction, through managing Seasonality and the size and shape of Different policies customers’ and workers’ behaviour breeds adapted for different landscapes operate within chains and emotional response, violates some make this impossible to achieve and important cultural standards about places food service procurement at odds operated by the the status of the self that honours with some ethical aspirations. same parent company authenticity, autonomy, sincerity and Healthy eating individuality.23 Aside from the supply-side ethical Communicating ‘ethics’ in the food provisioning, there has been an service staff extends from protest service sector increased desire in both the public and about fair pay to the mundane, There is a range of ethical concerns in private catering industries to engage boring, routine drive labour for an the food-catering sector from the responsibly with the sugar and fat un-unionised workforce.20 healthiness of food and the sourcing content of meals and food products as a The most recent revelation in the UK policy of food to the employment reaction to public concern about rising is the widespread use of below conditions of those working in the levels of obesity and heart disease in minimum wage pay for waiting staff, industry. The industry’s response to the UK. The UK government has urged whose pay is topped up with tips. It ethical criticism is highly variable and the food industry to play a more was recently reported that the Loch also extraordinarily fragmented positive role in encouraging healthy Fyne restaurant chain, which makes because of the structure of the eating. Well-known fast food brands claims about its ethical provisioning, industry. Consequently, it is hard for such as McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried adopts this practice.21 Its defence is studies to always be able to trace and Chicken are often seen as the epitome that it is following the policy of the account for ethical practices when of unhealthy eating, following negative parent company Greene King.22 they are taking place. Consumers who publicity inspired by the release of the Perhaps this example indicates that want ethical transparency when eating Morgan Spurlock’s film Super Size Me (2004) and Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation (2002). In response, these restaurant chains have expanded their product ranges to include ‘healthy’ options, as well as lowering the salt and fat content of existing products, to win back consumer confidence. These concerns have steered UK consumers towards newer brands such as Nando’s, Pret a Manger and Eat, who have capitalised on the demand for fresh and healthy meals.18 The public catering sector in the UK, most

particularly the school meals sector, has undergone considerable public scrutiny, which has led to increased regulation of the nutritional content of meals provided to school children.19 © Robinhammon

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out may often be frustrated because 6. DEFRA (2007) Food Service and Eating out: 16. Higgin, M and Roe E 2007 Current Strategies An economic survey. January 2007 the regulated use of product-package for Animal Welfare in the food service sector in the UK. Welfare Quality Report Series No. 8 labelling – a popular approach for 7. Horizons for Success (2008) UK Foodservice informing about the quality of food – Industry in 2007. http://tinyurl.com/68kzpm 17. Clarke, Nick, Barnett, Clive, Cloke, Paul and works much less effectively in a sector 8. Keynote 2008 Catering Market www. Malpass, Alice (2007) Politics and Society, 35, (4), 583-607 where food is often served as a meal keynote.co.uk with no quality descriptors. 9. ibid. 18. Mintel 2007. Op. cit. However, there is an increasing 10. ibid. 19. Morgan, K and Sonnino R 2008 The School number of eating establishments that Meal Revolution. Earthscan. London. 11. ibid. are actively choosing to market 20. Schlosser, E (2002) Fast Food Nation Penguin components of meals using terms 12. ibid. books, London. associated with ethical food choices 13. ibid. 21. Watson, J. (2008) The Scotsman 27/07/08 such as organic, local, sustainable, 14. ACNeilson (2004) Consumers in Asia Pacific http://tiny.cc/f7gvm free-range, Fairtrade or low fat. – Our Fast Food/ Take Away Consumption Publicly recognisable logos of ethical Habits 2nd Half, http://tiny.cc/g1ClQ. 22. Allister, G. 2008 The Guardian. http://tiny. cc/WEtsx bodies or food quality standards may 15. AFIC – Asian Food Information Centre also be used on menus to support (2006) Food Facts Asia Issue 26 – Eating Out 23. Leidner, R (1993) Fast Food, Fast Talk. these claims. However menus carry of Home, Weight Management and How we University of California Press. Berkeley. nothing like the nutritional Make Food Choices. http://tiny.cc/rv67w breakdown that product packaging carries. What is striking about this industry is that the huge buying power of some of the food service companies operating in the fast food sector, and the institutions, companies and firms that use contract-caterers, can have Our latest publications remarkable leverage within the food industry to continue the support and development of more ethical food Flying food products. Responsible retail in the However, many of those companies face of uncertainty are choosing not to wield that power and are, instead, supporting poor ethical practice around the globe through the food served in in-house canteens and high streets from Food distribution London to Lahore. The sad truth is An ethicsal agenda that bulk buying products more often than not tends towards the lowest common denominator.  1. Mintel 2007 Eating Out Habits – UK- November 2007. Market Size and Forecast. Ethical tools 2. Frazao, E; Meade, B and Regmi A. (2008) Converging patterns in global food consumption and food delivery systems. AmberWaves Feb. http://tiny.cc/KDwIm

3. IGD (2005) Understanding food service Ethics opportunities for farmers and small food A toolkit for food business producers.

4. Office of National Statistics 2006 Spending on eating out overtakes eating at home. News Release 18 August 2006 Download these and more from our website: 5. ONS (2007) Consumer Trends Q4 2007 www.foodethicscouncil.org 8 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4 | www.foodethicscouncil.org Challenges How healthy is eating out? Encouraging sensible eating practices must be a priority for the catering industry

Despite the wobbles of the credit This seems to be because of the Dr Alan Maryon-Davis crunch, the catering sector is still riding continuing preponderance of fast food President of the Faculty of on the crest of a wave. The trend towards outlets, where frying is the order of the gastropubs, café culture, the humble day. Furthermore, there seems to be a Public health, Chair of the sandwich and our perennial love of strong class gradient in the type of Royal Institute of Public burgers, fish and chips and other food that’s habitually eaten out. People Health, Vice-Chair of the takeaways, has led to a tripling of eating- in poorer socio-economic National Heart Forum, and an out sales over the past 25 years. In 2004, circumstances, particularly those in spending on eating out overtook so-called manual occupational groups, honorary professor in public spending on eating in – and continues to tend to eat more of the less healthy health at Kings College rise. foods. This may be true of the food they London. His particular interest consume at home too – but now that The government’s Family Food Survey eating out has become the norm, the is the impact of poverty, has found that about one-third of the health impact of this social trend is culture, lifestyles and average family’s food budget now goes even more important. It is bound to on eating out. And the British Hospitality environment on health. contribute to the inequalities in health Association estimates that over one [email protected] that are all too apparent between the billion meals each year are provided by haves and the have-nots in our society. schools, hospitals and other parts of the public sector. The shift to eating outside convenience, flavour, availability, habit, the home amounts to a huge social peer pressure, advertising – all play a change in the way we eat and in what we key part – but, as far as eating out is increasingly are putting down our concerned, often there’s very little real throats. The foods we eat out nutritional choice. Yes, the catering trade has to respond to popular What does this revolution mean for the of home are on demand – and if people want deep- health of the nation? Is the swing to average higher in fat, fried sausages and chips, that’s what eating out bad news for our waistline, they’ll get. But caterers and food outlets arteries, heart and bowels? Are our saturates, salt can do much to nudge the market in a burger-besotted kids doomed? Does fast healthier direction as well as cashing in food spell a fast-track to the graveyard? and sugar on the healthy eating boom. These are not easy questions to answer – not least because of the sheer diversity Offering a wider choice, including of the eating-out market. For one person interesting salads, lightly cooked it might mean a deep-fried takeaway Foods (and drinks) high in fat or sugar vegetables and fresh fruit would be a twice a day, every day. For another it are packed with calories and tip the good start. Using less fat, salt and sugar could mean a healthy sandwich or salad scales towards obesity, making the UK in cooking; grilling or baking (not frying); mix for lunch during the working week. the overweight capital of Europe and and switching to polyunsaturated For a third, it might simply amount to an leading to dire warnings of a diabetes cooking oils would help too. And then occasional pub meal or visit to a ‘epidemic’. Fats, especially saturated there’s labelling. According to a recent restaurant. And for a fourth, whatever’s fats, found mostly in meat and dairy survey by the Food Standards Agency, being offered in the staff canteen. But it’s products, add to the risk of coronary two-thirds of people want restaurants, hard to get a handle on who’s eating heart disease. Too much salt in our food pubs and cafes to display nutritional what. Sales figures give only crude can push up our blood pressure and information on menus and point-of-sale information about the types of food or increase our risk of stroke and chronic signs, and the FSA is developing a meals purchased. And market research kidney failure, as well as heart disease. standardised national scheme to satisfy reveals only a little more about what And diets high in red meat are this demand. sorts of people choose what sorts of associated with a higher risk of bowel foods, how often and why. cancer, as are diets low in fruit and veg. As a public health doctor concerned Most of these health problems are more about health inequalities I would very Nevertheless, a pattern is emerging. common among the less well off and much welcome all these initiatives. Yes, According to the Food Standards Agency, there’s a real concern that part of the I know the larger contract caterers have taken as a whole, the foods we eat out of reason is their choice of foods when been heading in this direction for some home are on average higher in fat, eating out. time. But our high street outlets should saturates, salt and sugar, and lower in respond too. And if they leave it too fruit and vegetables, than the foods we So how can we encourage people to go long they’ll start losing their eat at home. for healthier options? Price, customers. 

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When eight-times Olympic gold ahead of McDonald’s and can now Neville Rigby medalist Michael Phelps took part in boast a US$2 billion annual turnover a PR stunt in a Beijing McDonald’s in China, providing one fifth of the Writer and consultant on this summer, he attracted a throng of conglomerate’s global revenue (and heath advocacy, and former enthusiastic young Chinese fans. It accounting for almost one quarter of director of policy and public was just one of several crowd-pulling its global net profit). This figure is set affairs of the International appearances the swimmer made as to double within 10 years, according ‘global ambassador’ for the company’s to the China Economic Review last Obesity TaskForce. Champion Kids programme. September, unveiling YUM! plans to [email protected] open more than 20,000 restaurants The focus was meant to be on the across China. Olympics, now heavily sponsored by McDonald’s alongside Coca Cola and YUM! had a head start in China by VISA, but it was the company’s rapidly being the first to market, and because expanding presence in China that was there was a ready supply of chickens. even more remarkable. But China’s traditional agricultural The remarkable rise of fast food sales infrastructure presented a real The first McDonald’s ‘drive-thru’ with little underlying core consumer challenge to McDonald’s, which opened in Beijing at the beginning of demand, and the future projections of needed to develop a supply strategy 2007, and the restaurant where a massive increase in the proliferation from scratch in a country where beef Phelps put in his appearance was the of western fast food catering to the was rare, and to shift cultural attitudes 16th ‘drive thru’ to open in China at a world’s largest country, stand to embrace the American burger time when the company had just testimony to long-range market culture before it was formally branded announced a deal to open 30 more. planning and well established by Eric Schlosser’s exposé, Fast Food And this in turn heralded a plan to collaborative processes. These Nation. roll out hundreds more conventional underpin a strategy of international outlets to its then 900-strong chain in McDonald’s might still have been economic development which serves the world’s largest growing economy. struggling to construct a supply chain to wean the Chinese (and particularly What McDonald’s triumphal but for the timely intervention of the their children as potential lifetime partnering of the Beijing Olympics so World Bank, which 10 years ago consumers) away from their traditional starkly illustrated was that the fast offered China the prospect of a US$93 and previously relatively healthy food revolution still taking place in million loan to develop its sparse dietary standards towards an acquired China was no overnight business livestock and meat processing sector, taste for western junk food. coup, but the culmination of long thus paving the way for a fast food term strategic planning – and not just explosion. The market expansion of McDonald’s in the boardroom of McDonald’s. across Asia is illustrated in the The manoeuvre did not go entirely following table shown on the next The notion that any of the big fast unnoticed, with Neal Barnard page. food brands should become the most founding president of the Physicians visible flag bearers for globalisation Committee for Responsible Medicine Researchers see it as no coincidence in China might easily have been in the USA, protesting to the New that access to fast food is one of the scoffed at just a quarter of a century York Times in 1999 that while smart key factors driving up obesity rates, ago. Now China is an economic Americans were recognising the need particularly where the concentration powerhouse leading the vanguard of to “Easternise” their diets, “World of fast food outlets in more deprived so-called developing countries that Bank bureaucrats decided to promote areas reflects the limited alternatives have thrown open their doors to the a Westernisation of China’s diet”. available. In China the impact of western fast food icons. Some, changing diet is tangible, with including China, are realising a little Barnard observed: consumption shifting from a plant- late in the game, that having to cope “Of course, the World Bank’s efforts based to an animal-based diet with a with the resultant upsurge in the to promote cattle farming in China remarkable increase in fat intake. Prof ‘diseases of globalisation’ is an are concerned less with good health Chen Chunming, founding president of inevitability that will severely hamper than with economic investment. No the Chinese Academy of Preventive their development. doubt some cattle ranchers will profit, Medicine, reported to a symposium 10 When the door was first flung open to as they edge out vegetable and rice years ago that the fat intake of teenage Western companies over 20 years acreage. But why is the World Bank, boys in cities had soared from 17% to ago, PepsiCo introduced the first so roundly criticised over the years 30% of their total energy consumed. Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet to for its self-defeating economic Nevertheless nutrition experts in China Beijing. This KFC operation, now part development schemes, falling into of YUM! Brands, was several steps the same old trap?” and India still consider the nutrition

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culture. McDonald’s has more than 31,000 outlets around the world, but it is the broader westernization that is surprising. Even Iran – a country supposedly inured to American influence through economic blockage – has created its own alternative burger and cola culture and consequently has urban obesity rates that match or exceed some of those found in the USA and Europe. During a visit to Islamabad, an unscheduled spot of lunch one day led not to a classic Pakistani meal but a soggy pizza in a westernised local ‘modern restaurant’. Strolling through downtown Santiago earlier this year en route to a health ministry meeting to discuss the need for greater protection for children from fairly disease would impose a huge burden transition taking place to be in its first ubiquitous and intense fast food on the health system and put a brake phase, with the adverse impact of marketing, it was clear that millions on economic development. westernized fast food outlets affecting had been invested extending burger a comparatively affluent elite to date. chains’ networks across a country However, the transition in Latin struggling to find ways to deal with America is considered to have shifted, childhood obesity that goes hand in with aspirational consumption of hand with nutritional deficiencies. iconic fat food brands in countries Overweight and obesity It isn’t difficult for hard-nosed US such as Brazil now disproportionately rates have skyrocketed executives accustomed to the hard sell affecting teenagers in lower socio- to promote fast food investment to economic status groups. to affect 280 million many governments. Fast food Talking to Prof Chen Chunming during Chinese men, women restaurants offer a symbol of economic a McGill University childhood obesity progress and western investment. The think tank in Montreal recently, she and children clientele passing under the golden told me that western fast food arches in Moscow are a more affluent restaurants in China were still group because its prices are at a considered an expensive and an premium. The prices in Beijing are still occasional treat; but she was beyond the reach of the masses. concerned that the pattern would In India, leading paediatrician Prof The jobs created in fast food change towards cheaper fast food Narendra K. Arora, executive director restaurants offer neither a route to consumed more frequently, thus of the International Clinical riches nor long term security. The exacerbating rising childhood obesity. Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) in economic ‘benefits’ may actually She felt that street hawkers selling New Delhi, believed it was too early to present a poor trade-off by diminishing traditional Chinese foods should also consider the impact of the limited traditional market opportunities, be seen as also a source of concern, number of Western fast food outlets, introducing absurd examples of including the commonly consumed and in his view some traditional Indian superfluous food miles – such as China ‘you tiao’ – something like a deep- fast food offerings were also having to import McDonald’s French fried bread stick. contributing to the obesity problem now becoming apparent in around fries from the USA – tilting the balance China is now struggling to work out 15% of pupils attending in private against local agriculture and locking what to do, as overweight and obesity schools in cities. development into an energy-inefficient rates have skyrocketed to affect 280 Western model that is redundant if we Travelling in many developing million Chinese men, women and are ever to tackle climate change, countries I have noted the proliferation children. The WHO warned several energy conservation and rational use not only of golden arches but many years ago that obesity-related chronic of resources.  clones and emulators of fast food diseases such as diabetes and heart

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Fast food: success and criticism greenpeace activists; there have been Dr Tony Royle ‘slow food’ campaigns, notably in Whilst many of us may be concerned Senior Lecturer in the Department France and Italy, BSE and E-coli scares about the implications of the current of Management, JE Cairnes and obesity concerns with films such as global financial crisis, most financial Supersize Me. Following some of these School of Business and Economics, analysts suggest that multinational scares McDonald’s made its first ever NUI Galway, Ireland. He is the fast food giants will actually benefit as loss in 2002,6 but rebounded in 2003 consumers ‘trade down’ their eating author of Working for McDonald’s with a new global marketing campaign, habits to save money, and increasing in Europe and co-editor of Labour ‘I’m loving it’. Although growth has unemployment encourages more slowed, McDonald’s along with other Relations in the Global Fast food people to consider jobs in the industry.1 fast food chains continues to expand Industry, and an authority on The mostly US-owned brands such as abroad; fast food sales for all chains in McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and employment issues in the global China doubled between 1999 and 2005 Pizza Hut, still dominate this fast food industry. and McDonald’s plans to open 125 new important global industry. The top 10 stores in China in 2008. [email protected] US fast food chains have a combined turnover of over $100 billion and Focus on employment have us believe? What are the majority employ over 5 million workers in over of fast food jobs really like? 110,000 units worldwide; the US fast Although there has been considerable Employee hierarchy, organisational food industry alone is expected to media attention paid to the food and structure and labour turnover increase the number of jobs on offer by its health implications, and the about 17% in the next ten years.2 Their sustainability of the production It is important to note that 90-95% of impact on employment in their system, much less attention has been all employees at McDonald’s are manufacturing and agricultural paid to the pay and working conditions employed on hourly paid contracts and suppliers should also not be in the industry. This is not that this includes some restaurant underestimated, as recent cases surprising, as acquiring facts about management grades e.g. floor, shift or involving US agricultural workers and employment in fast food is not swing ‘managers’. This kind of Chinese plastic toy workers suggests.3 straightforward and, with their vast arrangement is typical for the US fast media spending, fast food companies food chains more generally. In a typical The leader of the pack: McDonald’s have put a lot of effort into portraying McDonald’s outlet for example, with McDonald’s is probably the best known themselves as good employers. about 50 employees, there are usually of these brands; having developed McDonald’s alone spends over $2 only three or four salaried staff – the many aspects of the modern fast food billion per annum on advertising and assistant managers and the store industry in the 1940s and 50s. It is claims “…the highest possible ethical manager. Another important point to also the main focus of this article, standards…” and that “…employees are bear in mind is that fast food chains 7 which is based on an ongoing 15 year respected and valued”. McDonald’s is like McDonald’s often use a international research study of the keen to emphasize the ‘fun’ aspect of combination of directly-owned stores, corporation and some of its main working in restaurants and claims to franchise stores and, in some cases, competitors. McDonald’s is not only provide many other positive benefits stores operated through holding the market leader in most national such as: pension scheme, paid holidays, companies or joint ventures. These economies where it operates, but company cars, sick pay, stock options, arrangements vary from one country to continues to be the most successful: in share purchase schemes, telephone another, but format franchises are a 2007, McDonald’s return on equity was assistance, clothing allowance, training common feature. At McDonald’s the 26%, more than double the industry and education and prospects for proportion of franchise stores in some average of 10%, its 2007 sales turnover advancement. However, in recent years countries is higher than others, but the was $23billion and there is growing McDonald’s and other fast food average worldwide is around 75%. evidence that McDonald’s is seen as the employers have become increasingly However, in nearly every case fast food model for others to emulate.4 concerned about recruitment. In the McDonald’s corporate centre retains McDonald’s employs over 1.6 million USA in particular, McDonald’s extensive and tight control over these people in 31,377 outlets, up from launched an aggressive recruiting operations, so that franchisees, 31,108 in 2002.5 Despite this success, campaign in May 2007 in the face of a although motivated by profits, are McDonald’s has often been the focus of considerable reduction in the numbers more like employees. They have little much that it is perceived to be wrong of young workers applying for their say over most parts of the operation, with this industry. In the late 1990s for jobs and jobs in the fast food industry with targets on sales and labour costs 8 example, it was embroiled in the more generally. Could it be that monitored and set by the Corporation. longest ever running UK civil court working in fast food is not quite as This high level of control can be seen case – ‘McLibel’ – with two unemployed much ‘fun’ as some employers would as one of the reasons for the success of

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the Corporation, ensuring a high level wage for new employees; again few Unpaid and long hours of uniformity of the system across earn significantly more than this as But low pay is not the only issue. ‘Off- national borders.9 This has also caused labour turnover is so high. Those the-clock’ work – that is working problems for the Corporation: there hourly-paid employees that remain in through breaks, working before shifts has been a history of franchisee employment for six months or more start or after they finish, waiting in unrest,10 with some franchisees may earn a few cents or pence per hour rest areas and clocking on when the complaining that targets are too tight extra, for very good or exceptional restaurant is busy, clocking off when it and royalties on sales too high, and the performance, depending on the is not – is a practice which has been accusation that McDonald’s is manager’s judgement. Or if employed common in the big fast food chains and sometimes willing to cannibalise its for longer they may get a promotion to was firmly condemned in the McLibel own system to make sales targets.11 training squad/crew trainer and later trial. One extreme case in the UK in This situation inevitably tends to put floor manager with a higher rate, but 1985 involved one employee being sent more downward pressure on labour this also comes with a lot more home from Burger King with just £1 costs and working conditions. In this pressure and responsibility. after spending most of the day in the context it is hardly surprising that changing rooms. In North America this labour turnover in the industry is kind of problem is endemic.21 extremely high. In the USA, average labour turnover in the industry is In many countries it In many countries it is still common 150% per annum; at McDonald’s, practice for fast food workers to be although it varies across countries and is still common practice asked to compete in all-night cleaning outlets, it has been known to reach for fast food workers ‘parties’, which are often unpaid, go on 300% per annum for crew employees.12 until the early hours of the morning to be asked to compete and offer prizes like cinema tickets for Pay and benefits in all-night cleaning the ‘best cleaners’. These big cleaning Ray Kroc is credited with creating the sessions usually take place before an modern McDonald’s Corporation in ‘parties’, which are important quality evaluation of stores 1955. He set up the franchise system by regional managers. and bought out the McDonald’s often unpaid There are also many complaints from brothers in 1961. As the official employees about miscalculations of biography of the Corporation points holiday pay and sick pay and no or out, Ray Kroc’s vision for the It is interesting to note that the Judge inadequate notice of shift changes. organisation and his ‘Krocisms’ still in the McLibel case (Mr. Justice Bell) There is evidence that the scheduling affect the outlook of most McDonald’s determined that: “...the British of hours is sometimes used as a means managers.13 In his own autobiography McDonald’s operation pays low wages to punish or reward hourly-paid Grinding It Out, Kroc states: “We sold and it depresses wages for other employees to ensure compliant them a dream and paid them as little as workers in the industry”.16 In the USA behaviour.22 There have also been cases possible”.14 In that vein it is perhaps McDonald’s also pays lower wages than at McDonald’s where considerable not surprising to discover that benefits some regional and international chains pressure on reducing labour costs has such as company cars and stock options such as Starbucks.17 led to some assistant restaurant are predominantly for those in salaried managers – keen to impress their store or more senior positions, and even Since the late 1990s, hourly-paid fast manager with the lowest labour costs where benefits could apply to hourly- food wages in most countries have on their shifts – electronically adjust paid workers, they usually only apply barely moved with inflation. Only in employees’ clocking-in times to reduce after several months or years of some mainland European countries, the wage bill.23 service, which due to high labour where trade unions have been strong turnover, means that few workers ever enough to ‘persuade’ McDonald’s and In December 2000, some 1,200 Italian get substantial benefits. other fast food chains into accepting workers walked out of 40 McDonald’s collective agreements (e.g. Norway, stores to protest about working The situation with pay is no different, Sweden, Denmark), have basic starting conditions and an intimidating work in most countries there are massive pay wages been significantly improved on.18 climate.24 In Japan, in 2005, differentials between those at the top In the USA, the fast food industry pays McDonald’s was faced with paying back and the bottom of the company. The more minimum wages than any other around $18million to 130,000 top US McDonald’s executives continue industry.19 The minimum wage issue is restaurant employees after complaints to earn as much 150-300 times that of further exacerbated by youth and about a clocking on system that the new hourly-paid US McDonald’s ‘apprenticeship’ rates which are found automatically rounded down minutes employee.15 Large fast food chains in a number of countries.20 worked by employees.25 usually pay just above the minimum

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Unpaid and long hours also affect many managers and franchisees begin the fast food industry is not only low salaried restaurant managers. For life as crew and therefore many are -paid, low-skilled and fast-paced, but it example, McDonald’s salaried managers promoted into top jobs. Although can also be hazardous. Although are paid for a 40-hour week, but they employees can and are promoted McDonald’s and other chains provide regularly work 50, 60 or 70 hour weeks through the system, the very high detailed handbooks on health and and in many cases overtime is not paid labour turnover levels mean that only a safety issues, fast food employees – this appears to be common practice in small fraction of employees ever get repeatedly complain about health and many countries.26 As recently as beyond the hourly-paid level. Secondly, safety violations such as skin burns, January 2008, a Tokyo District Court it should be noted that all franchisees which are a common problem in the ruled that McDonald’s should pay who buy into the company from the industry,30 slippery floors, inadequate overtime to store managers and area outside have to train as crew and ventilation (e.g. air conditioning turned managers. In August, McDonald’s managers for one year (unpaid) in order off in hot kitchens to save money), no responded by introducing a new wage to qualify for a franchise, and many or inadequate safety clothing or gloves system in Japan, which for the first senior managers buy franchise outlets for working in freezers or dealing with time included overtime pay; however, as a retirement ‘nest egg’. McDonald’s hot oils and dangerous chemicals. In overall pay will not improve much as also argue that they provide significant 1992, a McDonald’s worker in managers will also lose allowances education and training opportunities, Manchester was killed (electrocuted) by under this new system.27 Chronic under- but despite the various accreditations a faulty fat-filtering machine. A leaked manning in restaurants may have led to that McDonald’s has acquired for some McDonald’s memo admitted that there one extreme case in Yokohama, Japan in of its training, much of the education had been several instances where October 2007, when a 41 year old that is provided is very narrow and employees received severe shocks from female McDonald’s manager is alleged limited unless workers progress to the faulty equipment.31 In Russia, in the to have died from overwork after level of management. The majority of McDonald’s McComplex Moscow food working a number of consecutive shifts hourly-paid jobs are highly automated, processing plant, workers complained without adequate breaks.28 de-skilled and routinized.29 of ear infections and one case of frost- bite due to working without adequate Careers, education and training Working conditions protective clothing in industrial McDonalds’ frequently points out that For the majority of employees, work in freezers.32

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Acquiescent workers bedroom flat. The students were told McDonald’s CEO in 1991 stated: that if they did not accept the rental “McDonald’s is basically a non-union A common assumption is that it is agreement they would lose their jobs. company and intends to stay that always the young who are employed as Deductions were also made for way”.39 In the USA up until the 1970s it hourly-paid fast food workers. In Medicare and social security despite routinely used lie-detector tests to Anglo-Saxon countries such as the UK, the fact that these students were weed out potential unionists, as a the US and Australia, young workers legally exempt from such payments.35 leaked memo from McDonald’s top are very common but, in some other executives revealed at the time: “I think countries, more stringent legislation Grievance procedures [the union] was effective in …reaching makes the employment of under-18s In theory, McDonald’s has a number of the public with the information that we more difficult and costly. In practice, mechanisms for workers to air their do use polygraph tests in a Gestapo-type workforce characteristics in stores tend grievances (e.g. RAP sessions and manner”.40 to be more mixed and usually reflect suggestions schemes) but, in practice, the local labour market, which result in After a number of bad publicity scares a combination of different types of relating to anti-union activity, especially workers that may include some who in Europe, McDonald’s public statements have a poor educational record, on unions have become less adversarial economic migrants, university and now usually proclaim that they are students, housewives and school Work in the fast food not against unions. However, the students. The net result is an evidence suggests otherwise. Where acquiescent workforce that is unlikely industry is not only McDonald’s and other US fast food giants to question managerial prerogative low-paid, low-skilled can avoid unions, they will do so. Many regarding their employment rights and fast food workers complain of overly conditions, either through fear of and fast-paced, but it aggressive management, and there is management reprisals, a lack of can also be hazardous no doubt that the worst cases of interest or a lack of experience. harassment and intimidation are reserved for those trying to form trade Economic migrants are increasingly an unions or assert their employment important pool of labour for the rights. industry, often providing a wide range of experience and high working levels. managers are under much greater The last 40 years, since McDonald’s Such migrants often have problems pressure to reduce costs than to act on began its overseas expansion, is littered with the host country language and worker’s grievances.36 with unionisation struggles many of recognition of their qualifications, which have failed or have had little In what appeared to be an attempt to which means that finding better jobs effect on the business. The US-owned undermine statutory works council for these employees is often difficult. fast food chains are adept at using a rights in Germany37 McDonald’s There have also been a few cases where variety of union-busting techniques, Germany established their own illegal immigrants have been which usually involve a combination of McDonald’s ‘Ombudsman’ in 2003 to employed.33 In some of the worst legal action, flying squads of managers, deal with worker grievances. According excesses, in Germany, some migrant buying out contracts and harassment to trade union officials at the German workers were almost constantly on-call, and intimidation of union supporters, union (Nahrung Genuss Gaststätten) it living in apartments owned by which the labour courts or similar was discovered that this individual was managers or the company and totally bodies are often unable to address in far from independent and was in fact dependent on the corporation for their any effective way.41 Such union-busting the retired head of McDonald’s work permits.34 is a common feature of employment Germany human resource management relations in the USA where it is In August 2002, the US State department. estimated that, by the end of the Department criticised McDonald’s for Overall, the evidence suggests that fast 1980s, US employers were already exploiting foreign students. food managers rarely respond to spending some $1billion per annum on McDonald’s recruited around 400 worker’s complaints if this conflicts union-busting activity and the services students, many from Poland and with sales and profitability, unless of specialist union-busting law firms.42 Slovakia as part of a government- forced to do so by trade unions, where sanctioned ‘educational exchange’ There have been a number of attempts these exist, or bad publicity.38 programme. These students worked at to organise individual outlets in the McDonald’s and earned next to Trade union influence USA and Canada, all of which nothing. McDonald’s was deducting the eventually failed. The usual pattern is Up until the 1990s McDonald’s was equivalent of $2,000 per month rent that a majority of employees in a store outspokenly anti-union. For example, for five students to share a two- vote for union recognition yet, even if

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the labour court awards recognition it improve their low wages; in 2006 strikers ‘union effect’ varying in different never translates into collective were attempting to increase their wage countries. Even where collective bargaining and within a few months of from near the minimum adult wage of agreements have been imposed, there union-busting activity the unionisation $10.25 per hour to $12. Despite getting is clear evidence that many outlets do attempt is finished.43 an agreement with KFC and Pizza Hut, not properly comply with the McDonald’s only made an agreement agreements. Fast food companies In the UK, British unions do not have after several months of conflict and, at continue to avoid or undermine the resources to organise the big fast the time of writing, McDonald’s is once collective agreements and employment food chains and a similar story is found again trying to roll back these legislation; the battle between in most English-speaking countries agreements.44 A recent unionisation McDonald’s and the German unions including Australia and Ireland. Unions attempt in Japan has so far only enjoyed over statutory works councils rights is in New Zealand have had slightly more limited success, despite the direct a good example of this.45 success: in 2000, McDonald’s support of the Japanese Trade Union pragmatically accepted a collective Confederation (RENGO). The solution? agreement under labour reforms brought in by the then Labour Government but, Some mainland western European These outcomes are not that by 2005, McDonald’s was busy engaging unions have so far, probably had more surprising; fast food companies are the services of union-busting specialists influence than elsewhere, due to a highly systematized and based on a Teesdale Associates to fight off a combination of more ‘union-friendly’ low-cost model that appears to treat community-organised low pay campaign. traditions and stronger labour the majority of their workforces as New Zealand McDonald’s workers have legislation and/or stronger trade union exchangeable units of production. It is been involved in several strikes organised movements. But across mainland also a very competitive industry and by the UNITE union in an attempt to Europe the picture is mixed with the labour costs represent some two-thirds © Jim Wallace Challenges Work and employment

of operating costs and margins are companies (and others) will lobby hard Roche, W.F. (2002) Baltimore Sun, 27th tight. But it is a profitable business to stop this happening. Despite the August: 3A and Tannock, S. (2001) Youth at Work, Temple University Press. model. Although some of the worst catastrophic results of unfettered 22. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Leidner, R. excesses appear to take place in markets in the global banking system, (1993) Op. cit. and Leidner, R. (2002) Op. franchise operations, this should not economic liberalism and the cit. and www.unite.org.nz. exonerate the large chains. Franchisees deregulatory instinct, both in 23. 23 Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. are under considerable pressure to meet government thinking and in (2006) Op. cit the franchisor’s sales targets and make international institutions such as the 24. Sciotto, A. (2001) Il Manifesto, 17 profits and they also provide a IMF and WTO, are far from dead. As November: 3. and Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. convenient get-out clause for the things stand trade unions will continue 25. Sanchanta, M. (2005) Financial Times, 3 franchisor concerned, making it easier to face considerable difficulties in August: 17. 26. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. for fast food chains to avoid unions and improving the lot of fast food workers, 27. The Japan Times, (2008) ‘McDonald’s to pay other national employment rights. even in countries where their regulatory managers overtime’, Wednesday, May 21, systems allows them to challenge such What is the solution? If national online, http://tinyurl.com/5dqvtr, and employers now. For the rest there legislation is not adequate, is there Sato, H. (2008) Kanagawa Shinnbunn 6 appears to be no prospect of real September: 21. likely to be any remedy at the improvement in wages and conditions 28. Sato, H. (2008) Op. cit. supranational level? Probably not: for fast food workers in the near future. 29. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Leidner, R. European Union legislation, such as the  (2002) Op. cit. 1994 European Works Council Directive, 30. Halpin, J., Forst, L., Zautke, J. (2008) cannot be applied to employees in 1. McRoskey, R. (2008) Business Week, 16 Journal of Foodservice, June, 19, 3: 189- franchise outlets and even where it is July: 9. 193. applied to directly employed workers it 2. Sterrett, D. Workforce Management 31. Royle, T. (2005a) Op. cit. Magazine, July 25th: 3. has proved to be toothless in this 32. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. 3. Royle, T. (2005a) ‘Realism or idealism? industry.46 Neither is there likely to be (2005b) Industrial Relations Journal, July. Corporate Social Responsibility and the 33. Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. any remedy found in international law Employee Stakeholder in the Global fast 34. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. which is largely focused on trade, or the food Industry’, Business Ethics: A European (2002a) Employee Relations, 24, 4: 437-460 Review, 14, 1: 42-55 and Ten Eyck, T. soft law of voluntary private codes of and Royle, T. (2002b) Industrial Relations (2008) Labor Notes, 352, July: 13, 16. conduct such as corporate social Journal, 33, 3: 262-278 and Royle, T. responsibility. These corporate 4. Royle, T. (2004) European Journal of (2005a) Op. cit. Industrial Relations, 10, 1: 51-71 and initiatives simply do not work for 35. Roche, W.F. (2002) Baltimore Sun, 27th Royle, T. (2006) British Journal of Industrial August: 3A. employees in the fast food industry, but Relations, 44, 4: 757-779. 36. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. are a useful PR weapon for large 5. http://tiny.cc/8FU2x 37. Royle, T. (2002a) Op. cit. corporations hoping to silence NGOs 6. Walsh, C. (2003) The Observer, 13th July: 3. 38. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. and other commentators. 7. http://tiny.cc/8FU2x (2005a) Op.cit. 8. Sterrett, D. Op.cit. One obvious answer still lies at the 39. BNA (1991) Bulletin to Management, national level. If governments are 9. Royle, T. (2000) Working for McDonald’s in Washington DC: Bureau of National Europe, London and New York: Routledge. th serious about tackling low pay then they Affairs, 7 March: 66. 10. Love, J. (1995) McDonald’s Behind the 40. Vidal, J. (1997) Op. cit. 231. will need to tackle industries like fast Arches, Bantam: New York food. One obvious step would be 41. Vidal, J. (1997) Op. cit. and Royle, T. (2000) 11. Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. Op. cit. and Royle, T. (2002a) Op. cit. and stronger national collective labour law 12. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. Royle, T. (2002b) Op. cit. and Royle, T. which could provide independent trade (2006) Op. cit. and Leidner, R. (2002) in (2004) Op. cit. and Royle, T. (2005b) Op. unions with more power to gain Royle, T. and Towers, B., (eds.) Labour cit. and Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. recognition and then negotiate, monitor Relations in the Global Fast food Industry, 42. Lawler, J. (1990) Unionization and and enforce collective agreements. It is London: Routledge. Deunionization, University of South probably no coincidence that countries 13. Love, J. (1995) Op. cit. Carolina Press. 14. Vidal, J. (1997) McLibel: Burger Culture on with the strongest trade unions and 43. Leidner, R. (2002) Op. cit. and Reiter, E. Trial, Basingstoke: MacMillan, 40. (2002) Op. cit. more centralised collective bargaining 15. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. 44. McCarten, M. (2008) (New Zealand) Herald systems tend to do most to improve 16. Vidal, J. (1997) Op. cit. 312. on Sunday, 5th October, www.unite.org. basic pay and conditions in this 17. Sterrett, D. Op. cit. nz/?q+521 2008 and www.supersizemypay. industry, for example Denmark, Norway 18. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. com. 47 and Sweden. However, increasing (2004) Op. cit. and Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. 45. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. and Royle, T. regulation in national employment 19. Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. (2002a) Op. cit. and Royle, T. (2002b) Op. systems to strengthen the position of 20. Royle, T. (2006) Op. cit. cit.and Royle, T. (2004) Op. cit. unions would require a major shift in 21. Leidner, R. (1993) Fast food fast Talk, 46. Royle, T. (2000) Op. cit. political will and the fast food University of California Press and Leidner, 47. ibid. R. (2002) Op. cit. and Reiter, E. (2002) in

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 |winter 2008 17 Challenges Business ethics Good for competitive advantage and good for society

Is it too much to hope that the current reign. It is difficult to prioritise ethical economic crisis will result in a concerns, identify which codes of Donald Sloan fundamental reassessment of business conduct are most appropriate and Chair of Oxford Gastronomica: ethics? It may well be, but as some legitimate, and which agencies carry The Centre for Food, Drink and shocking realities of unfettered authority. Such confusion may justify Culture, and Head of the capitalism hit home, surely it is time to avoidance, or at least an approach pause, stand-back, and consider how which is overly simplistic. Department of Hospitality, we might create more responsible Leisure and Tourism Despite such challenges, and contrary business models that have a sense of to popular criticism, it would seem Management at Oxford empathy at their core. that foodservice management Brookes University. Whilst in a reflective mood, where companies are now prioritising ethical [email protected] better to start than with the issues. A simple review of leading foodservice management sector, the companies’ websites reveals the scale, reach and influence of which is extent to which issues such as immense. It plays a pivotal role in a environmental impact, sustainable To this end, Oxford Brookes University’s complex food supply chain and, in procurement, fair trade and Department of Hospitality, Leisure and doing so, may impact on the community engagement are now Tourism Management is developing The environment, health, human dignity, taking centre stage. In addition, work Catering Forum, which will act as a hub cultural identity and trading practices undertaken in 2006 by Oxford Brookes for communication on matters relating internationally. The sector has taken University’s Centre for Environmental to food ethics and corporate social a barrage of criticism from some of Studies in the Hospitality Industry responsibility more generally. Its launch, our most vocal commentators, not resulted in the four largest contract on 4th February 2009, will draw together only over perceptions of the quality caterers signing up to five principles foodservice management companies, of its products, but also for supposedly on sustainable procurement which, if representatives of major client contributing to our dysfunctional adhered to, represent a significant organisations, policy makers and leading relationship with food – a relationship step forward. These were, to select commentators, to agree a common characterised by the standardisation food products from the country in agenda and goals. This initial event will of taste, excessive consumption of which they are going to be offered; incorporate presentations on factors in pre-prepared dishes and lack of provide information about food the external environment, such as rising interest in the origin of ingredients. provenance on menus so that food prices and human rights in the In short, the ethical credentials of consumers can make informed food chain, which are shaping ethical foodservice management companies choices; avoid sourcing products that considerations. The Department will have been under fire. are damaging to human health or the also oversee a new awards scheme for environment; seek ways to adapt Without succumbing to the hype, it is the foodservice management sector, centralised purchasing and worth noting what can limit designed to acknowledge and reward distribution systems which limit engagement with ethical agendas, not real achievements on ethical issues, ability to source locally and seasonally; in foodservice management specifically, focusing on waste minimisation, staff and reduce energy consumption and but more generally. A well-rehearsed training, food procurement, carbon waste. Whilst such principles are not suspicion is that a focus on ethics in reduction and water management. binding and there is still no compulsion the business community is sometimes to monitor practice or provide All such activity represents progress, but a sham, driven by ego and a rather transparent reporting of progress, there are risks. We have all been witness cynical desire to be associated with they do enable companies to better to ethical and socially responsible ‘good causes’ rather than by authentic frame and communicate their concerns being sidelined in times of concern for others. Even in achievements. economic uncertainty, but now is the circumstances in which commitments time for those in foodservice seem genuine, including to many of In the absence of legislation, and management to think long-term. those professing them, they can stem considering fundamental challenges to Competitive advantage can be secured from being caught on a wave of self- engagement, a pragmatic approach is through a focus on quality and righteousness, rather than from required – one that establishes realistic innovation; criticism can be addressed anything more meaningful. ethical principles, provides accessible through engagement with a common interpretations of complex ethical There are, of course, reasons for lack ethical agenda; and the adoption of new issues, defines priorities for the of engagement that do not speak so business models, which have empathy foodservice sector, examines changes negatively of the human spirit. For at their core, can make a positive in client demands and which ultimately example, it is understandable that on contribution to society.  helps to change business cultures. a topic so complex, confusion can

18 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4 | www.foodethicscouncil.org the big question

How good was your lunch?

When, as a dinner lady in the year 2000, I set about trying to replace processed school meals with fresh, local and organic food, I was a lone voice in the wilderness. Today’s government school meal standards and hundreds of schools joining the Food for Life Partnership movement for better food culture, mean I can enjoy the first taste of success. Today I was treated to a school dinner at St. Andrew’s Primary School in Shifnal, Shropshire. I was there to assess the school for our Food for Life Partnership Silver award, which – alongside rewarding practical food education like cooking, food growing and farm visits – requires that school lunches are served on plates, not flight trays, there is a range of local and organic items on the menu, and all chicken, eggs and pork are Freedom Food certified or free-range. At St Andrew’s, ingredients are supplied by local authority caterer Shire Services, the first large school meal provider to reach the Food for Life Silver-standards. Equally important is the school cook, Jan Bentley, and her team who prepare more Jeanette Orrey than 75% of the food from scratch each day. I know from my time as a dinner lady how tough this can be, and never stop calling for this labour of love to be better School meals policy adviser rewarded. School meals are a vital education service and in my view school cooks for the Food for Life should be on the school’s senior management team, not coming and going via Partnership, writer and former the back door. I chose home-made cheese and onion quiche with salad, and an dinner lady. ever-popular marble sponge. It was delicious, and the sustainability credentials weren’t bad either: the cheese came from a local dairy, and the eggs were free- www.foodforlife.org.uk range from one of six local farms that supply Shire Services. The lettuce and beetroot in the salad were grown organically by the children in their school garden. Next step is the Gold award, with 50% local and 30% organic ingredients on the menu. Hundreds of schools are joining the Food for Life Partnership and changing their menus, and I look forward to tucking into many more meals like this one!

My lunch is usually a rather hasty and functional one, eaten alone at my desk or on the run between meetings. I normally buy a sandwich and some orange juice from the Sainsbury’s Local across the road from my office. I also have a bowl of fruit beside my desk as a healthier alternative to the chocolate bars that I keep hidden in a desk drawer for moments of crisis. My partner encourages me to have a ‘proper lunch’, eaten with others outside the office, and there is a lovely park nearby where I could take a break and get some exercise. But I rationalise my unhealthy choice of a desk-bound lunch with the idea that working through the day means that I will be able to get home earlier, to eat tea with my wife and children and spend more time as a family. Doing research on food is bound to make you more self-conscious about what you eat and we regularly talk at home about the gap between our idealised ‘family meal’ and our actual daily practice. The ideal involves fresh food made from local, seasonal ingredients, cooked from scratch and shared in a leisurely way by all the family as we take it turns to talk Peter Jackson about the events of the day. The reality often involves convenience food (pasta Director of the ‘Changing and meatballs, pizza or macaroni cheese, fish and chips), eaten quickly, with the Families, Changing Food’ children bobbing up and down from the table or rushing to get off to football or research programme, funded by Brownies, the routines and rhythms of ordinary life always threatening to undermine our best intentions. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and buy a The Leverhulme Trust, at the sandwich… University of Sheffield. www.sheffield.ac.uk/familiesandfood

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 |winter 2008 19 The big question 20 restaurant…?ethical an find to how then But lunch? for out go and France in I’m pretend I’ll tomorrow Maybe sandwich. your in ‘meat’ the into squelched legally be can gloop other waterand you can barely read – you’re none the wiser. And don’t get me started on how much but others are. Even when you do get a lists, long list ingredientson your provide sandwich pack to– in requiredtiny type not law,outlets. are labelling of in range quirk a wide to a Many,due from sandwich my bought I’d if true be also would That Or, dyed.was frankly,it it. if about else anything they just bake it there because it smells nice) there was no labelling, so I couldn’t tell was it because and pre-doneAnd in shipped gets dough the scratchfrom– (not premises the dyed. baked on been had it though as brown, too little a perhaps But brown. was it and apparently),you, for good (jolly seeds had It left. had they what happened to be near a major retailer open late in the evening, and grabbed a loaf of Usually, that would have been organic too but you know how it is. Ran out of bread, bread. the from Apart avoidance. pesticide and standards welfare animal high miles, food low for scoredpoints I rocketSo garden.peppery myfromleaves huge,fresh card– trump smug, I don’t always do) and it was stuffed with organic cheese and tomato and – my before(which, morning mythis made sandwich I I’myou side, think plus toothe On too.That’sshameful sit-down propermeal. their French of fewerworkers arethat lunching these days, and ‘le out sandwich’ is nibbling at the markettold share of I’m more) But (or culture. hour food thriving full their savour a to day taking working of tradition French the admire I desk. my at lunch ate I days, most today,like but foodie a for confession shameful a It’s www.slowfood.com cooking. regional and productsfood produced locally protectionof and ment enjoy promotesthe which eco-gastronomicmovement Movement, Food Slow the of Founder PetriniCarlo How good was your lunch? yourwas good How an internationalan - winter 2008 | volume 3 issue 4 | www.foodethicscouncil.org| 4 issue 3 volume | 2008 winter amr I et n ujb Or el elh oe fo te at ad rm the are.whereverwe – foods local eating from and earth by that the preserve to utmost our from do must we and comes it, work who people wealth of knowledge real Our Punjab. in meet I by farmers up cooked delights spicy the and love Ethiopia also in injera I Brazil, But in I’m from. when come feijoada I that city the Bra, from sausages and tomatoes local from made sauce a with Piedmont, native my of tajarin the love I that this for is It towards justice. trendsocial and sustainability global respects the locally bucked Eating have area. industrial monoculture. who It the is good, farmers clean in and fair, supports foundsatisfying your palate, and are environmental biodiversity that varieties plant animal and the of breeds best the making journeys, long unnecessary avoid ingredients The are underlined, above all, by the fact that local foods are often the most sustainable. values these But culture. and quality,curiosity of demands the meet foods local So it turf home on you’re When identity.your up shoreeat you things the too,becauseyou journey. cheers your along discoveries exciting continuous to and you leads new it eating and too tastiest is food local the you Generally where understandare. to way best the is It houses. people’s in or restaurants, in street, the market, the in it be locally,eating in value cultural profound a is There conviviality.healthy gratifyingand a in sharing others, of company the in best it enjoy offer.I to And has visit I place each what eat to want myself.I find I wherever local, is food perfect my that reply only can I world, the myselfovertravelling find frequentlyall I As table. the tastesatare my what and dishes favourite my about is, meal perfect my what asked often I’m line o bte fo and food better for alliance the Sustain: of Co-ordinator JeanetteLongfield www.sustainweb.org farming. The big question 21

uk www.dukeorganic.co. Geetie Geetie Singh Owner of The of Duke organic-certified gastropub. gastropub. organic-certified Cambridge Cambridge pub: only the UK’s

I’ve I’ve been green all my life, thanks to my mother As and a chef father. ‘green’ the ethos of Acorn House sustainably, cook and simply and Water seasonally House and ensure organic reflects our and/or ingredients my Fair are Trade. principles local, – We friendly dispose way, we using of buy a our wormery, waste hot which is system, turning our in cooking oil into a substance. compostable composter an and environmentally an experimental bokashi The kind of food I eat at home is the same in principle restaurants - as good, what’s seasonal served food, in consisting our of produce that has been sourced sustainably and cooked simply so that the essential nature of the food remains, and few nutrients are lost. So in autumn I eat as if I myself up were fattening for – happened which in winter One is,past. what would have centuries of of course, lunchtime dishes my favourite is mushrooms on toast, a very English thing. Today I mixed together a selection of wild button mushrooms mushrooms and bulked cooked out them with with some a bit of butter garlic. retain To all and the goodness oil, you must shallots clean your and mushrooms carefully with a cloth and never immerse them in Once water. they were nearly ready I added some chopped parsley, lemon juice and a served drizzle up on rounds of homemade sourdough. of olive oil. It was delicious www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 www.foodethicscouncil.org |season 2008

www.acornhouserestuarant.co.uk Dawson Dawson head Executive chef at Water House and Acorn House in London. restaurants Arthur Potts Arthur Potts Lunch presents me with a daily sincechallenge, it’s andmy jobmost todays ensureI eatthe ritual,itfood atis but myupI alsopubto findscratch. it Ihard reallyto curbwonderful enjoymy appetitethis arraysincedaily there of is always dishes such thana to my stomach! choose from – my eyes are Today definitely I chose bigger red mullet curly with kale spicyon the side. chermoula, Not to whitebe confusedis canneliniwitha a goodbad beans hair-do, looking the and fishred mulletwith taste.a Itvibrant was red popularskin, infirm Romanwhite swimming timesflesh in– and glassdinner a bowlshostsmeaty on would the havestraight redtable, away. Nowadaysmulletand one the rarely fish sees werethis killed great shame. But finewhy? fishand oncooked a menu, which is a Red mullet are often caught in fishermen’s theynets as are ‘by catch’ usually – which thrown means overboard.extinction, With I many think of it’s the dreadful especially world’s as that they fishare abundant red nearingin mulletthe northeast areAtlantic. a political Eating not fishchoice is for made mealways – if it’s not moresustainable and use responsibly fished, of, allow I won’tthe pub to serve it. We buy all our fishfrom fishermenfrom the basedSouth nearEast Hastings:of England, they use small dayfishing boats and traditional methods. We were thepolicy approved first by the Marine in Conservation the Society, and country this yearStewardship the Marine to Council haveallowed us ourto use their fish-buying logo on our menucertified for any of fishtheir that we buy. We’re proud to mullet – they a make very delicious servelunch! (and guilt-free) unloved species such as red How How good was your lunch? The big question 22 little rebellious, in a nice, harmless kind of way.of too. kind it’spolitical harmless but It’s personal,a nice, a in rebellious,subversive,little little a feels tomatoes own my Producing little. very have I which in lunch a good, tastes that lunch a foodsystema powerin of sense a me givesthat lunch trust,a I people produced is by for looking am I What virtuous. than selfish more far are motives my But lunch. my of virtues ethical the about preach to easy Given current concerns about food miles, labour practices and nutrition, it would be appeared. lunch myAugust,late in day one stakes.then, their aroundAnd plants the curled and pruned hoed, I months, few next the For soil. the stakesinto bay,some at pushed bugs keepand the to them around basil and marigolds French sowedlater, weeksTwoI soil. the into well them planted and fêteorganic an from plants tomato bought May,I of week first the In hoe. to began I March, in through pushing started weeds the valley.When the up field horsefriend’s a from manure I’d waited a long time for this lunch. I’d prepared the soil back in February, in digging tangy.strongand is now I’meating one aged The age. bystall her at neatly up it lines but - it fermier,call local they a as – cheese Saturday.one makeslast only She marketthe at new Myriam, from comes cheese The 80. farinefrom bread wheatier a but makes, she baguette not It’s oven. stone traditional a in it bakes herself,and and bread some had I it mills breadmaker,wheat, ownthe her Julie, market.grows them, local our from cheese With variety. heirloom an Rose, Berne lovely Two tomatoes.pickedtoday.myselfgardensome and lunch the goodinto went a I had I www.3663.co.uk Foodservices. Firstfor 3663 Technicalof Director Services, ForsythMartin winter 2008 | volume 3 issue 4 | www.foodethicscouncil.org| 4 issue 3 volume | 2008 winter How good was your lunch? yourwas good How ask doesn’t mean they don’t want to know.towant don’t they mean doesn’t ask – they need to be told what they’re eating in a different way. Just because they don’t Fairtrade leave their conscience at home when they go out. But maybe – just maybe and Foodorganic,Freedom buy committedconsumerswho very that said It’soften machine. a from expect you do what but best, the Taste-wise?Not it? of half drink foronly I Tea.Shall benefits delivers which standard good a – workers. But hold Fairtradeon – the very small print on the cup says is that only 50% is Fairtrade tea the least at Well it again, But ask? you can tasteswho fine. – tell you do recruit How Gangmasters it? Did pick to schemes? workers paid Gap poorly Global or Leaf the of part farm the Was What about the apple? What variety is it? Is it fresh? It looks ok but how was grown? tastesalright! it but way– Freedom RSPCA overseas? either indicate to or labelling There’sno UK commodity? pumped-up imported, the or Foods from chicken the Is sandwich. the to Back food the down operators.foodservice and or consumers up to benefits the explain can’t you products this have don’t you If foodservice chain. supply and understanding all of way about single information a is collecting needs really sector foodservice the What for suitable it’s whether like requiredorigin). of country vegansor legally not items the of (especially parts chain different the supply from information the extract to hard it’s but labelling, ingredient with effort an description, of more make productcould sector foodservice The minimum: date. by use legal and listing the to stuck has manufacturer the from tea of sandwich The label. the fromtell to difficult It’s cup very it? actually,is But healthy how a by followed well as apple an machine. good, being I’m sandwich As the from baguettevan. salad and chicken a try so healthy, be to aiming I’m Freelance consultant on food consultanton Freelance Corinna HawkesCorinna policy issues living in rural in living issues policy [email protected]. Auvergne, FranceAuvergne, The big question 23 of Food(2008). [email protected] Paul Paul Roberts Journalist Journalist and author of the End of Oil (2004) and the End

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 www.foodethicscouncil.org |season 2008 Food is one of life’s essentials, alongsidemorning, air,before water, clothesleaving forand work,shelter. IEvery I almostturn myalways attention bring to my breakfastlunch or andfrom eatlunch. home out and – verya rarelytradition gowhen to I’ve I thewas followedacanteen child. since When itmy mother wasfather used to wasdo established it unable I for Now, her. do it towith my bypreparesisters, and my parents mystill schoolparents tiffin, participate my in one form or another. Continuing to follow this tradition makes sense to me, because I prefer not to buy my lunch from outside for reasons of health and hygiene. more nutritious hygienic, and easily than food. prepared digested market Home cooked food is While outside food is usually (for me tasty, at least) it are the canhigh content oftenof oil, chilies be and unhealthy.spices. great, The but Problemtaste is oily, spicyareas food plays havoc with my digestion. I am from north Indiahome-made bread and(called chapatti I or rotilike in Hindi) northand fromcooked fresh vegetablesIndian the localfood. market.My Ievery lunch try day box– and whichcontains haveisn’t a difficultwideinto as variety myit’s part lunchof of veg IIndian in know culture.delicious! my it’s lunchbox So healthy,when I fresh,tuck locally sourced, and – above all –

www.mdi.ac.in Anita Anita Goyal and Associate professor area marketing chairperson at Management Development India. Gurgaon, Institute, I’m a big fan of the sardine luncheon. Aoff few the days oil, a takeweek, a stackI open of crackersup a tin,(whole pour wheatsit on the porch of my office (you really and shouldn’t eat them inside). high fibre, of course) and Why sardines? They’re tasty (in my view). They’reThey’re cheap at aboutreally, a $1.50 areally tin. good fattyfor acids (Iyou started– eatinglots them almostof a US dailyhealth guru as “health protein,food in a can”). after hearingcalcium, them describedand by beneficial Unlike tuna, they contain beingvery little fished mercury into and, population, extinction.more to almostthe Yes, vanishedpoint, the aren’twasn’tin main thethe sardine1940s.primary But population,driver: it cycle through booms natural now and in we’re busts, a and boom. accordinghappily, turns the outto Pacificmarinethat over-fishingexperts, sardine populations Still, a few things up a soaks the lot tin of packaging obviously, and most lunch. First sustainable will need to change metal before and energy, sardines so I’m becomes going to need a to find truly to a bulk honestly method. question whether That I’d said, be I committed have enough to prepare bulk, them in given the stink, but there’sIt also sort the of time makes required one to wonder mutually exclusive. take into whether account. ‘convenience’ and ‘sustainable’ are Second, the relative abundance of sardines decidedcould disappear toif the whole partake world in question: can a food be truly sustainable if it can’t be enjoyed by everyone? this health food in a can. Which leads to another How How good was your lunch? Solutions Corporate social responsibility Is the 'renaissance' reaching food service industries?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – the business Local food drives Michael Heasman decision-making linked to ethical values, compliance Bon Appétit’s Senior Lecturer in the Food with legal requirements, and respect for people, socially Marketing and Strategy Food communities and the environment – is becoming one of responsible the defining themes of business in society in the 21st strategy and Subject Group at Sheffield century. One leading commentator, Simon Zadek, marketing Hallam University, UK. He has describes the 1990s as seeing a “renaissance in corporate Bon Appétit written over 90 publications, citizenship” driven in part by the new economic Management reports, or invited presentations, imperative for business to build a sense of shared values Company with stakeholders and the move towards business and co-authored three books: completed their models that embrace ‘sustainability’ issues (Zadek Food Wars: The Global Battle for fourth annual Eat 2001). Local Challenge on Mouths, Minds and Markets But while there is much generic work on CSR and September 30th, (with Prof. Tim Lang, 2004), The broader aspects of corporate citizenship, there is often an initiative Functional Foods Revolution: limited sector-specific analysis of the impact of this launched in 2004 Healthy People, Healthy Profits? business renaissance. This rule of thumb applies to raise awareness particularly to the food industry and especially in of food miles, and (2001) and Consumption in the foodservice. So this article is not a review of literature about where Age of Affluence: The World of pertinent to CSR and foodservice, but describes the people’s food Food (1996). corporate citizenship activities of two very different comes from. [email protected] foodservice companies, not to provide a critique but to The challenge outline how far CSR – whether explicit or implicit – can requires every chef in the company’s 400 restaurants and drive progressive change in the catering industry. cafes around the United States to create a 100% local meal, With this in mind it might be a surprise that the choice using only ingredients produced within 150 miles of the of examples is fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s cafes (with the exception of salt). and the Bon Appétit Management Company - a business Such is Bon Appétit’s dedication to local food that, since its unit of the world’s largest foodservice company the foundation in 1987, and long before the local food Compass Group. Before getting into these case studies, movement became topical, the California based foodservice let me set the scene by examining CSR activity in the company’s aim has been to work with local food suppliers. food sector. But in the late 1990s the company found itself facing a CSR activities are sometimes seen as being driven mainly peculiar problem – what it calls “a crisis in flavor and taste” by environmental concerns such as climate change, in the foods and ingredients it purchased. The company energy use, and the creation of a low carbon economy. found that many of its local food suppliers had been lost. It But while these are becoming increasingly important for was this crisis that created the genesis of the Bon Appétit food business (because its factors of production are Farm to Fork Program. under threat), the CSR agenda is much broader. An examination I carried out of food industry CSR reports The Farm to Fork Program grew when Bon Appétit began to shows that the CSR agenda can be summarized under six locate their “flavor crisis” in a wider food system context. As main areas of business activity: the company told me in an interview: “When we really started to learn about what was happening to farming in our • Working/employee conditions country [the United States] and food transportation and the • Community involvement and philanthropic activities incredible environmental impacts of that then it became a larger mission for us to really support local farms, to • Labour and supply chain relationships (i.e. the reinvest in our community, ensure green areas in our company’s external impact on other businesses, in communities and also prevent the environmental fallout of particular its suppliers) long distant shipping of products.” • Meeting legal requirements and financial probity The Farm to Fork Program is a company-wide initiative to • Meeting environmental impact challenges buy locally. The first choice is to purchase seasonal, regional and organic produce from local farmers and artisan • Nutrition and healthy eating. producers. These local products are served within 48 hours It is the integration of all these elements within of harvest. It aims to deliver delicious and healthy food for business strategy and financial decision-making that to its customers, and stronger economies for the communities my mind separates authentic food business change with in which Bon Appétit operates. Last year the company respect to CSR from ‘greenwash’. sourced US$55 million of local produce in this way.

24 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4| www.foodethicscouncil.org Solutions Corporate social responsibility

It is perhaps surprising to learn that Bon Appétit The Plan to Win strategy’s objective was to make Management Company is a fully owned business unit of “McDonald’s their customers’ favorite place and way to the UK based foodservice giant the Compass Group. The eat”. To achieve this, the company set out to grow by being Compass Group says it is the world’s largest foodservice better and attracting more customers to existing company, and in 2007 had sales of £10 billion and restaurants rather than adding more restaurants. Part of employed 360,000 people world-wide: 40% of the Group’s the Plan to Win strategy was also to demonstrate revenues came from North America in 2007 where it McDonald’s leadership in social responsibility. employs around 127,000. It has yet to publish a CSR This has manifested itself in recent years, as McDonald’s report but its first is due in early 2009. has instituted various programs to reduce its To put Bon Appétit in context, it employs 10,000 people environmental footprint and make its global operations and operates more than 400 on-site cafes inside business more sustainable and transparent. Its first CSR report was and educational establishments across 29 U.S. states. published in 2002, but a second more substantive report Rather than ‘bolting-on’ its sustainability initiatives to appeared in 2004 and its third in 2006. The reports follow existing business practice, Bon Appétit has introduced reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative, the system-wide change to make de-facto international standard for reporting on sustainability a part of how the environmental, social and business company fundamentally does business issues. at all its sites. Last year Bon Appétit The company’s CSR efforts have focused The Farm to Fork Program is part of its on four areas: health and nutrition; Circle of Responsibility initiative sourced $55 million of combating the perception that working for the company is a ‘McJob’; the launched in 2002. The initiative is a local produce way of wrapping up a lot of the company’s environmental impact; and company’s sustainability initiatives its work in the communities in which it operates. But at its heart McDonald’s into a package their customers can objective has been to restore and understand. For example, part of the extend consumer trust. Circle of Responsibility initiative is a communications program to help educate and inform the company’s To sum up this approach, Denis Hennequin, president consumers about the behind-the-scenes activities the McDonald’s Europe, wrote in the company’s 2005 European company is implementing. Without preaching values to CSR report: “Our customers need to know that they can customers, it tries to be proactive with customers in trust McDonald’s – it is critical to their decision to visit our taking its sustainability message beyond its own restaurants. Corporate responsibility is one of three key boundaries, and it regards itself as a model of what is drivers of trust”. (The other two being the delivery of possible. quality ingredients, quick and friendly service in a clean, comfortable restaurant environment, and providing The new socially responsible face of McDonald’s? evidence of leadership and success). Some people might pinch themselves but McDonald’s was McDonald’s has set out to demonstrate that corporate named as one of the world’s most ethical companies in responsibility is not an ‘add-on’ programme, but an 2007 and the company’s Vice President for Corporate intrinsic part of their decision-making. At an operational Social Responsibility, Bob Langert, is ranked as among one level it has seen, for example, the company introduce, into of the most influential people in business ethics. The selected markets, organic milk, fairtrade coffee and new accolades were from Ethisphere Magazine, a global healthier menu options. It has also put in place policies for publication dedicated to illuminating the correlation animal welfare and sustainable fishing. between ethics and profit. Over the past four years in In addition, the company has worked to put in place a wide particular the company has set out to demonstrate and range of environmental initiatives, and in 2008 the implement system-wide changes in relations to company published a report entitled ‘Best of Green’ perceptions about its social responsibility – McDonald’s reporting on these for its European operations – including even runs its own CR blog. the fact that it has been working together with Greenpeace McDonald’s current CSR activities can be linked back to its to protect threatened areas of the Amazon rain forest. corporate global strategy called Plan to Win, introduced in Europe is McDonald’s largest region by revenues despite April 2003. The early 2000s were dark days for having around one-quarter the number of outlets as the McDonald’s, with its financial performance heading U.S. downhill and the company experiencing an erosion in total While CSR is only one aspect of McDonald’s new-found shareholder value compounded by a number of external business success it would appear from the evidence that shock factors (for example, 9/11, consumer concerns in the company’s CSR objectives are being integrated Europe and Japan about BSE, and a strong U.S. dollar). system-wide across the key areas of the CSR agenda set

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 |winter 2008 25 Solutions Corporate social responsibility

out above. The significance of McDonald’s working in this way is hard to determine without further independent research, but the corporation’s scale and presence within the food system make it noteworthy. © Majiscup For example, in its UK operation the company works with more than 17,200 farmers for its core ingredients and, since their launch in 2003, the company has sold more than 10 million fruit bags making it the biggest retailer of pre-prepared fruit in the UK. Perhaps as tellingly, McDonald’s globally has turned itself once more into a formidable competitor and, in 2007, it turned in record revenues of US$25 billion. So will its leadership in social responsibility now be part of the marketing and strategic mix that sets the pace of industry CSR change? Much of the food industry and foodservice sector is still in the early stages of implementing CSR strategies (and many businesses are doing very little or nothing at all). But the term relationships with consumers and other key stakeholders crucial trend is that in the future no successful foodservice – if not for social reasons alone then for sound business business will be able to ignore the importance of CSR or reasons. As we’ve seen in both Bon Appétit and McDonald’s, corporate citizenship trends to marketing and building long- CSR is here to stay.  UP TO 35% OFF THE FOLLOWING BOOKS Gower are giving Food Ethics Magazine readers 35% off these titles if purchased together and 25% off of purchased separately. Please quote the following codes :

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26 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4| www.foodethicscouncil.org Solutions Public procurement The government’s role in supporting healthy eating and a sustainable food system

The provision of good food in public settings is not an but this is not the Helen Crawley intractable problem. It is, in fact, eminently achievable, and case for many A regsisterd Health the concept has now been embraced across the UK. A raft of micronutrients. documents is available from government departments, local Adults under the Nutritionist and Dietitian, she authorities, NGOs, food suppliers and providers on the role of age of 30 have the is currently Science Director of public procurement in contributing to healthy eating and a most the public health nutritional more sustainable food system. There is no shortage of micronutrient-poor charity the Caroline Walker rhetoric, and little dispute that public sector catering can, and diets of any adult should, improve the diets of hundreds of thousands of age group and this Trust. CWT campaigns for workers, patients, prisoners and others who eat in publicly is reflected in better quality food in public funded settings. increasing numbers settings and better training for of young men and Improving health is, however, just one part of a multi- those who provide food for women found to stranded concept which, put simply, aims to reunite have low vulnerable groups in the UK. consumers holistically with healthy, locally-produced nutritional status. sustainably-grown food from a supply chain which reduces [email protected] How significantly waste and food transport and supports its workers. There are public sector many players: cost-conscious local authorities and catering can impact government departments, public health nutritionists, on the nutritional managers and commissioners of services, environmental health of this campaigners, audit authorities and the wider EU community generation of young adults and their parents is debatable. all have a different take on the priorities for the public procurement of food in the 21st century. Within this chain Currently we have no evidence for the average contribution of are inevitable conflicts, and there still remains a gap in the public service catering to nutritional intakes of population evidence base between the recommendations of public health groups. In statistical terms, improvements are likely to make a nutritionists and those of environmentalists. This can be fairly minimal difference to average nutrient intakes on a illustrated, for example, by the tension between those who population wide basis. The main drivers for changing public promote an increase in oil-rich fish consumption and those procurement practices are therefore likely in reality to be who strive to manage dwindling fish stocks. economic and environmental rather than health related. The exception to this is where individuals are provided with the The scale of food procurement in public settings is majority of their food in public settings: in prisons and young undeniable. The public sector in England spends £2 billion on offenders’ institutions, long stay hospital settings, residential food and catering services. The NHS alone produces over 300 care homes and detention centres for example. Changing million meals each year and spends over £500m on food, procurement policy for these individuals does indeed have the employing more than 12,000 staff in catering departments. power to make a critical difference to nutritional status, but this But while these figures are significant, public sector catering requires both clear nutritional standards (such as those produced actually represents only about 7% of the total catering market for many settings by The Caroline Walker Trust) as well as a by value across the UK. Therefore the ability of those in willingness to spend more money on higher quality food and public sector procurement to affect on the food sourcing invest in training around enabling good nutrition and eating policies of large contract catering organisations and food well. distributors is challenging. It could be argued that improving public procurement will have a limited impact on the overall There has been considerable progress in public sector catering in catering food supply chain and on the population’s nutritional recent years. The Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative health. Data from the 2006 Food and Expenditure Survey (PSFPI) was adopted by government departments in 2003 with suggests that about £8 per person per week was spent on food an agreement to promote healthy food and improve the and non-alcoholic drink eaten outside the home in Britain, sustainability and efficiency of food procurement, catering with an additional £3.54 spent on alcoholic beverages. For services and supply. However, recent evidence from DEFRA those under the age of 30, however, the average spend of suggests that by 2007 progress to some of the objectives, such as £13.63 on food and drink outside the home is nearing UK produced food, farm assured food standards, organic and fair expenditure on household food and drink purchases of £18.83 trade food procurement, has been slow or is unknown in many a week – with eating out among younger people fuelled by government departments. higher expenditure on soft drinks, sandwiches and meat and meat products (for example fried chicken, burgers and kebabs) In terms of food purchased for the NHS supply chain and HM as well as alcoholic drinks. Prisons, 40% of food in the NHS and 67% in prisons is reported to be UK produced, with 80% of foods from farm assured sources Food purchased outside the home makes a relatively greater in the NHS but none in prisons. Whilst 4% of food is from contribution to total fat, saturated fat and sugar intakes organic sources and 100% of tea and 4% of coffee is fairly traded compared to its energy contribution than food eaten at home, in the NHS, this data is also unknown for prisons.

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 |winter 2008 27 Solutions Public procurement

Whilst there have been some positive changes in procurement sodium and sugar and minimum protein content of certain of food commodities, whether food is any ‘healthier’ is processed foods have been used by procurers and caterers of unknown. The development of clear nutrient-based standards school food products in Scotland since 2004. They remain for food served in prisons and hospitals has been slow and voluntary but send a clear signal to manufacturers that in any standards produced are likely to remain voluntary. The order to have their food considered for purchase by local recent Cabinet Office report, Food Matters, suggests the route authorities they need to fulfil specific quality standards. of developing a ‘Healthier Food Mark’ for public sector Despite now being developed by the Food Standards Agency catering to encourage provision of healthier food in hospitals, as UK-wide standards, they receive no mention on the School prisons and government departments. It is unlikely, however, Food Trust website. While many local authorities have their that a gentle, food-based approach will make any substantial own food product specifications, the lack of any enforcement difference to public health nutrition as the change to strict in this area could be suggested as a weak link in what has nutrient-based standards in schools perhaps best become a tightly regulated chain. demonstrates. In reality, the provision of food which There is a common misconception that meets defined nutrient based standards the driver for the change in the still relies on trust and goodwill and some composition of school meals in the UK may argue that there is inevitable tension was rising obesity levels. This was not in A joined-up sustainable between a service which must be cost- fact the case. The impetus for the food procurement system neutral or profit-making and one which improvement of school meals was the ultimately puts the nutritional needs of poor nutritional intake of schoolchildren. requires financial its clients first. In Italy, many schools The introduction of clear nutrient have handed over the operation of their standards acted as a vehicle for a commitment school canteens to not-for-profit significant change in the proportion of organisations set up and managed by school aged children who achieved the parent committees. These small and local appropriate reference nutrient intake purchasers generally enjoy greater (RNI) for a number of micronutrients freedom than public institutions in their procurement (particularly iron, zinc, vitamin A, folate) and fibre, and a activities and, as Jeanette Orrey demonstrated in her significant decrease in the number having higher than Nottinghamshire primary school, school meals are able to recommended intakes of total fat, saturated fat and salt. The develop over time to meet local needs. decision to bring in mandatory, quantified nutrient-based standards (which specify the actual amount of nutrients that Within all public sector settings, however, there are a number meals served over a period of a week or more should provide of caterers. Around 37% of food service provision to hospitals on average to a group of people) was an admission that the is contracted out to the private sector, for example. For previously favoured food-based standards (which demanded commercial catering organisations, procurement policy is that certain foods were offered each week) were insufficient ultimately driven by their clients’ price requirements. Most to make the step change in the nutrient intakes of school catering and food supply companies can source a wide range children that was desired. of foods and ingredients, but higher-quality foods come at a higher price and there remains a demand for cheaper foods The second major change that came with school meal and ingredients, and for ready prepared foods. standards was the agreement to restrict food choice among school aged children on school premises – the ultimate ‘nanny A joined-up sustainable food procurement system requires state’ decision, based on the fact that, when faced with financial commitment, clear and simple nutritional labelling unhealthy choices, children are unable to make appropriate for caterers and clarity in the relative role of nutritional decisions about their food. These decisions were a bold standards to other factors linked to sustainable public attempt to use public service catering to move the public procurement. At the moment across the country there is health goal posts and, in reality, to move them more for those endless debate about the relative merits of serving organic in the population from lower-income households, entitled to white sliced bread to children rather than non organic free school meals, for whom school meals were known to wholemeal bread; the economic benefits of home made make a greater contribution to total nutrient intake. compared to ready made sauces; the greater waste associated While tough nutrient based standards in theory encourage with increasing the vegetable content of dishes. There is much caterers to look in detail at all the food products they serve food for thought for the Government’s newly announced and the recipes they use, the final jigsaw piece in encouraging Council of Food Policy Advisors who will be charged with caterers to change food procurement policy to improve making food policy recommendations ‘from farm to fork.’ nutritional standards is the introduction of target nutrient Public health nutrition expertise will be essential if the aim of specifications for individual food products. Target nutrient improving nutritional health of the population through better specifications for the amount of total fat, saturated fat, public procurement policy is also to become a reality. 

28 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4| www.foodethicscouncil.org Solutions Community catering A grassroots revolution

In the past few years we have seen a food revolution in The Crocus Cafe Clare Devereux the UK – with civil society campaigning against GM foods in Nottingham A founder director of Food and supermarkets, rising consumer interest in artisan and started life as a local foods, and a visible increase in the number of fair-trade cafe in Matters, a not-for-profit farmers’ markets, farm shops and box schemes. a community company that supports people centre, but Despite this renewed interest in food, there is one and organisations working recently moved to industry – catering and food service – that has so far towards more sustainable and a shopping centre escaped closer scrutiny, possibly because it is less visible where it can equitable food systems. to the public eye. attract more and [email protected] However, there is activity here too – with communities different and individuals developing alternatives to the large scale customers, corporate catering operations that dominate the sector. including Local solutions are often better placed to deliver a variety students from the of social benefits, such as healthier and more sustainable university, staff food, skills and training and economic development. from a nearby medical centre and local residents. The cafe is non-profit making and run mainly by volunteers. The community cafe Like so many community run food ventures it is a Smoked mackerel salad and roasted vegetable cous-cous, challenge to keep prices low whilst maintaining ethical wild mushroom, chestnut and spinach stuffed brioche – it purchasing policies that support fair-trade, organic, could be the menu of a top end London brasserie. In vegetarian and local producers. “Customers are drawn to reality it’s lunch at the 20/20 cafe in Brighton – run by the cafe because of the affordability and quality of the the Nourish social enterprise, and sited in a community food we offer, rather than the ethics underpinning what mental health centre in a disadvantaged area of the city. we do – but they often leave with their perceptions As well as offering high quality food and outside catering, changed”, says board member Alice Townend, who says the cafe trains service users in catering to NVQ level – that being involved in the cafe changed her life and has and is about to open an industrial kitchen from which it given her a deeper understanding of the issues involved. can expand the outside catering operation. The Slow Food movement Working in a highly competitive marketplace – Brighton probably has more catering operations per square mile Whereas anti-supermarket campaigns are two a penny than most cities – the cafe is carving out an excellent across the country, UK civil society has been somewhat reputation and building a strong customer base within slower to protest against the homogenisation of the high both the public and private sectors. “More and more street with fast food outlets, restaurant chains and the people are coming to us because they value our strong ubiquitous coffee shop. ethical values and the fact that our profits benefit In France, Jose Bove is famous for destroying a marginalised adults and the community in general”, McDonald’s fast food outlet, which for him and his explains Nourish Deputy CEO, Alan Lugton. supporters symbolised all that was bad about today’s The ‘community cafe’ has long been a way of responding to highly globalised and industrialised food system. In Italy, the needs of vulnerable members of society, providing an the appearance of the same golden arches at the foot of affordable meal and social contact. More often than not the Spanish steps in Rome led to the birth of Slow Food, they are found in the church hall or community centre, an international consumer movement which now has with customers drawn from the immediate neighbourhood. more than 80,000 members in over 90 countries. Slow Increasingly, however, they are responding to a wider range Food celebrates the diverse heritage of regional food and of concerns. “Although we are motivated primarily by our drink, and actively promotes the protection of a wide service users, to whom we want to provide good food, and range of artisan products which would otherwise be the opportunity to learn new skills, we also want to keep swallowed up by cheap, mass-produced and inferior local money circulating in the community for the benefit of produce. the community,” continues Alan. “More and more people Local convivia are at the grassroots of the slow food today want to know where their money is going, and here movement, where tastings and visits are organised, and they can see for themselves.” information on good shops and restaurants shared, all Nourish is receiving an increasing number of enquiries done with an emphasis on the ‘conviviality and from people who want to run community cafes in a more enjoyment’ of food. Slow food can also take credit for the commercial way – with a presence on the high street and enormous number of local food festivals across the UK – appealing to a wider customer base – whilst maintaining it’s hard to find a town now without its annual celebration their social values. of local food specialities and quality restaurants, which

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 |winter 2008 29 Solutions Community catering

have done much to introduce people to different ways of Delivering public food procurement accessing and enjoying food outside the home. Every day, across the UK, many millions of people come together to eat food in a variety of different settings. The The community meal most obvious of these is the school meal, the centre of so Slow Food is often criticised for being elitist –with the much controversy in recent years, but there are also meals events and produce it supports often too expensive for the served in our hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, ordinary person on the street. The founder, Carlo Petrini universities and other public places. is unapologetic, claiming that “we have to change the food Despite public sector food procurement receiving much system and this starts with the elite”. However, a attention recently, with various initiatives and campaigns multitude of grassroots projects across the UK could prove designed to help increase the amount of healthy, local or him wrong – change is also happening in some of our organic produce on offer, provision is still dominated by poorest and most deprived communities. large, remote food service companies, delivering millions A recent urban farming project in Middlesborough of meals across the globe every day. Breaking this culminated in the ‘Town Meal’, held in a central square in dominance with smaller, more local and community based the City, and attended by over 2,500 operations, whether that is faming residents. Dott 07 was a regeneration co-ops or social enterprises, remains a project exploring the role design can challenge. play in increasing the sustainability of It makes sense to In the words of Nourish’s Alan Lugton depressed and run down areas. During – “we’re a social enterprise – with the the project, over 1,000 residents, support community emphasis on enterprise. It’s very including schools, community groups led initiatives difficult to be enterprising with public and businesses, were involved in sector contracts – they are restrictive, growing fruit and vegetables in unusual too big, and with such small margins containers and public spaces around that they don’t really allow for a more the town. And, at various points, community members creative and human scale approach.” came together to eat the food they had grown, with the final Town Meal marking the end of a productive year. When change does come, it’s because visionary and ‘Culture Kitchen’ is another annual celebration of an supportive purchasing officers develop contracts and on-going grassroots project run by the Women’s budgets that are more accessible to smaller providers. Environmental Network. This local food project When a new school meal contract was developed in Kent, encourages groups of inner city women, often of ethnic it was decided to break it up into clusters of schools, origin, to develop their organic food growing skills. Once a thereby creating smaller and more manageable contracts. year all the participants come together to celebrate their This allowed a new company, Whole School Meals, to win work, share recipes, prepare and enjoy a meal cooked with the contract for delivery in 21 schools in the Deal area. the produce they have grown. According to the organisers, The company is unique in that 75% of its shares are held “the success of Culture Kitchen has its roots in the power by 18 of the schools it serves, while the remaining 25% of food to unite groups who may not normally come are held by the seven founding directors. The company’s together”. vision is to be ‘a community-based company, highly In the US, the concept of the ‘pot luck’ has been a professional in its management, commercially viable, traditional way of sharing and eating food together, with accountable to the schools, parents and children. At its everybody contributing a component of the meal. This heart [is] the goal of providing home-cooked school meals idea is now developing into a bigger movement, with that are healthy, nutritious and which the children enjoy people joining ‘dining co-ops’. The idea started on college eating; and preparing these meals from fresh, seasonal campuses, and has extended into the community, where it ingredients that have been produced locally’. can take several different formats. A group of friends eat together once a week, with members cooking the meal in Both Nourish and Whole School Meals prove that it turns. In a ‘cooking co-operative’, a group of friends with makes sense to support community led initiatives to families each cook a meal large enough to feed them all. On break into public sector food procurement. They can be a Sunday they collect the food, take it home complete with much better placed to deliver sustainable food (Nourish instructions, so they don’t have to cook during the week. has its own community farm and Whole School Meals Cooking co-operatively - on a regular basis or for a one off sources 70% of its food from Kent). And local special occasion - can help people save time and money, communities feel the benefits of their success, through deepen relationships with family and neighbours, and job creation and supporting local businesses and charities, provide healthier, more sustainable food as well. as well as attracting more inward investment into the area. 

30 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4| www.foodethicscouncil.org Column School dinners A dispatch from the coal face

When I started school I took school burgers were the most disgusting I have George Lindars-Hammond dinners. This was before the Jamie Oliver seen in my life and there was very little A 17 year old student who is phenomenon had hit our screens and goodness in the processed food on the Labour party was still in opposition. offer. studying for his A Levels in I remember even at that young age Bath. He is a young campaigner being served extremely overcooked But then came Jamie Oliver’s spotlight for the Children’s Rights on school dinners, and our menus and squashy vegetables, though I can’t Alliance for England. remember particularly disliking them. improved slightly. Out went the Turkey The food was fairly stodgy and looking Twizzlers and the disgusting burgers. back, I suspect the ingredients had Then, two years ago a new chef was come straight from a factory. appointed to run our canteen. Tim Fletcher was a man on a mission. Times change, and I started bringing a Almost immediately he threw out the packed lunch to school. My mother old menus and forged new links with made sure it was extremely healthy and local suppliers to create food unlike the than if I’d stuck to Tim’s (very cheap!) included a good deal of fresh ingredients. school had seen before. With meals school menu. When I started secondary school I went such as moules marinières and Piri Piri back to buying my lunch at school. For It seems to me that most young people chicken on offer, food became exciting the first three years at my school there care very little for how ethical their at a boys’ school where healthy attitudes were two entrances to the canteen, food is. But – as proved by my own are hard to promote. Take up of school commonly known as the “Healthy” and school’s food revolution - when a good, meals rocketed and the whole school is “Unhealthy” side. tasty, locally sourced meal is put in feeling the benefit of better food, which front of them in school, they really Entering through the former you would has the added bonus of improving appreciate it. be offered a selection of main courses moods and concentration span. and vegetables, although the dishes on Since I began sixth-form, and had During my years in full time education I offer frequently included the now freedom to leave school over lunchtime have experienced the whole range of vilified Turkey Twizzler. I have used the canteen much less and options for lunch, and in where the On the unhealthy side there was no have instead bought food at the local food came from played virtually no part change in the menu day to day. The Co-op, which has the bonus of being an in the choices I’ve made about what I food comprised burgers, sausages and ethical retail chain. I’m exercising my ate. For me, taste is the key, and if fish fingers accompanied by chips, choice, but in practice, I probably get a ethically produced food tastes good then baked beans and mashed potato. The far less balanced meal for more money it will win the day in schools.  © David Ortmann © David

www.foodethicscouncil.org | volume 3 issue 4 |winter 2008 31 Column Food, faith and home Making the connections

Our relationships with food are badly out Eating-out used to be a treat – and I believe Mike Rayner of kilter – witness all of the recent food- that is the proper place for it – but now it related problems from obesity to global has become routine. McDonald’s in central Director of the British Heart warming. Trends in eating behaviour hold Oxford used to have special arrangements Foundation Health a mirror to our changing relationships with for children’s birthday parties. This facility food, so reflecting upon such trends may has been quietly abandoned as eating at Promotion Research Group inform us about those relationships and McDonald’s is so commonplace that very at the University of Oxford, how they might be put right. few would now think of holding a party and Assistant Curate at St there. The purpose of eating out (in France Matthew’s Church, Oxford A modern trend that is often remarked and Michelin star restaurants excepted) upon is the increasing tendency for people seems to be to avoid the washing up. [email protected] to ‘eat-out’. This, unlike some other trends, is generally seen as not contentious and of Moreover the provision and eating of meals little consequence to what we care about in in many fast food restaurants is now so connection with food. But isn’t there quick that all one can do is consume the something questionable about this trend? food. There is no time to talk to the person serving it, let alone the person preparing it. Food and feasting is central to the worship Others in this edition have pointed out its This reduces those people to the status of of most religions, but this is often lost sight consequences for our physical health, the (vending) machines – it dehumanises of – perhaps because food seems too earth- environment, etc. Here I want to suggest them. Perhaps more importantly there is bound and not heavenly enough. If people that eating-out to excess risks damaging no time for conversation and building of faith (and indeed of none) could our social fabric – our relationships with relationships between those eating the recapture a sense of the true importance of one another. Of course, how often we eat meal together. food – and in particular food eaten at home out is not the only factor determining the – then perhaps they would be able help quality of our relationships, but it may be It is surely no coincidence that the meals address some of the food-related problems more important than we have tended to we regard as most significant – even in that beset our society. think, particularly in view of the special secular society – are normally prepared and significance that many religions give to eaten leisurely at home with family and For this reason a conference entitled ‘Faith ‘eating-in’. friends – for instance, the Thanksgiving and food: making the connections’, dinner and the Christmas lunch; and, organised by a group of Christians from By ‘eating-out’ we generally mean eating moreover, that meals at home – different denominations, is being held at outside of the home. Eating at other particularly celebratory but sometimes also the Wesley Memorial Church, Oxford on people’s homes is not normally considered routine – become acts of religious worship. 28th February 2009. Speakers will include to be ‘eating-out’. Moreover eating-out The clearest example of this is the Passover Colin Tudge, Rev Canon Tim Gorringe and generally involves ‘other people’ sourcing, meal in Judaism – a meal to remember and Fr Edliberto Sena from Brazil. There will be cooking and serving the food for us in celebrate liberation from oppression. The workshops, worship and of course good return for money. Eating-out is not just a Passover meal is also the fore-runner of the food. For more details see our website: matter of location. Communion meal in Christianity. www.faithandfood.org  However, where we eat is clearly somewhat important to us – we try to go for the nicest place we can when we eat – and I would like to suggest that it is ‘home’ where meals are best eaten. By home I mean where our family congregate but also the place to which our friends are drawn. The best of homes are also where the stranger is made welcome.

I would also like to propose that the best of meals are those which we ourselves prepare or are prepared for us by someone who loves us, rather than the paid employee. We surely know that the food cooked at home is generally tastier than at even the best of restaurants. How often do you hear – when eating out – ‘I am sure I could have done better myself’? © Liz Barling

32 winter 2008| volume 3 issue4 | www.foodethicscouncil.org The Food Ethics Council provides independent advice on the ethics of food and farming Our aim is to create a food system that is fairer and healthier for people and the environment, and where social justice and ecological sustainability are the norm, not the exception.

Our work Keep informed, subscribe today! To achieve our aims, we: “ … cutting-edge analysis that prompts real debate …” • Help find a way through challenging, controversial issues, using dialogue and Zac Goldsmith, Director of The Ecologist. research. • Build tools to put ethics at the heart of FOOD ETHICS is essential reading for everyone involved in food and farming. decisions about food in business, policy Subscribe now to get cutting edge analysis from the world’s leading experts. and civil society. We have worked on issues ranging from the To pay by credit card, visit www.foodethicscouncil.org power of supermarkets, food poverty and or call 0845 345 8574 (quote ‘flyer’ to claim 20% discount). workers’ rights, to air freight, road pricing, Alternatively please complete and return this form. meat and climate change, and water scarcity. Find out more and get involved through: I want to subscribe to Food Ethics magazine • Food Ethics Magazine – covering one major theme each quarter, it contains cutting edge analysis, debate, reviews Name: ...... and upcoming events. Essential reading for everyone who takes an active Position: ...... interest in food and farming. Organisation: ...... • Business Forum – a unique opportunity Address: ...... for senior food executives to gain expert insight into ethical issues that ...... Postcode: ...... are becoming core business concerns. Country: ...... Telephone: ...... There are six meetings a year, hosted by leading opinion formers, each one Email address: ...... tackling a key issue. • Research Reports and Briefings – we Annual subscription - RATES INCLUDE 20% DISCOUNT produce papers on the key issues of the day, including : water, reform of the  £12, unwaged CAP, unsustainable food distribution,  £20, individual nutrition and public health, research  £28, non-profit / educational and innovation and air freight.  £76, business (three copies to one address) • Ethical Tools – we have published (Add £5 for postage to Europe; £10 for rest of world) ‘Ethics - a toolkit for food businesses’ that introduces key ideas in ethics and  Please invoice me provides a framework for making better  I enclose a cheque made payable to decisions. Food Ethics Council for £ ...... • Workshops and Events – We organise Food Ethics Council, 39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton BN1 3PB. policy workshops, report launches, conferences and seminars, independently Registered charity number 1101885. and in partnership with others. Data protection: We will keep your information on our database for as long as you remain a subscriber to our magazine. We will not pass your details to any third party without your permission. reviews books

The Climate Diet Problems of Trust Jonathan Harrington | 2008 | Earthscan Franck Meijboom | 2008 | University of Utrecht A comprehensive guide to eating well and saving the planet, The Food and farming have had more than their fair share of problems Climate Diet reveals the extent to which our energy-intensive of trust. But in the face of countless business and government lifestyles are bad for the climate. In this down-to-earth book, efforts to ‘build trust’ when they suffer crises of confidence, Harrington offers information and advice, and provides a check- Meijboom argues that it is trustworthiness they should be after – list of recommendations to get us on the road to eating and they need to earn it, not make the public more trusting. A living more sustainably. AB meticulous attack on tangled thinking. TM

Creating Food Futures Reconstructing biotechnologies Cathy Rozel Farnworth et al. (eds.) | 2008 | Gower Guido Ruivenkamp et al. (eds.) | 2008 | Wageningen A thought-provoking collection of essays investigating the This collection takes it as read that agricultural biotechnologies do potential and the building blocks for a more democratic food not, for the most part, promote the public interest or international system. They challenge both the private sector’s growing development. Yet it asks whether they could do and, if so, what influence on food governance, and the pessimism that presumes that would take. It discusses influences on innovation from the citizens our powerless in the face of this trend. Critical, open- field through to international rule-making, asking whether the minded and worth a read. TM current trade-related intellectual property (TRIPS) should be replaced by development-related ‘DRIPS’. TM The End of Food Paul Roberts | 2008 | Bloomsbury Regoverning Markets A thorough overview of the origins and development of our Bill Vorley et al. (eds.) | 2008 | Gower and IIED modern food system and the contradictions and crises within it. An important and thorough look at what happens when The author explores possible solutions to the problems we face supermarkets meet small-scale producers in low- and middle- in the food system, including transgenic, organic and local food income countries. The editors’ top recommendations for production, eating less meat and reforming farm subsidy governments in countries experiencing rapid supermarket systems. AB expansion are to invest in traditional markets, control supermarket power and support producer organisations. TM Ethical Traceability and Communicating Food Coff Barling Korthals Neilsen eds. | 2008 | Springer The School Food Revolution The product of a major EU research project, this book explores Kevin Morgan & Roberta Sonnino | 2008 | Earthscan how transparency systems that already operate in food supply Taking sustainable development as its starting point this book chains can be adapted to communicate on ethical issues, to examines how the public purse has transformed school meal inform consumers and to give them more power. It includes provision in different settings across the world. Using case studies case studies of British bread, Danish bacon and Greek olive oil. from capital cities, rural Britain and the developing world, it shows TM how community food planning could be the answer to building sustainable societies. EB The Impact of Fair Trade Ruerd Rubon ed. | 2008 | Wageningen The Transformation of Agri-Food Systems A fascinating collection of essays that assess the impact of Fair Ellen McCullogh et al. (eds.) | 2008 | Earthscan Trade on smallholder producers in countries around the world. Well-researched and full of case studies, this book is a must-have This book provides a first step towards a qualitative analysis of for students of agriculture and international development. It the different effects of Fair Trade, and asks whether consumers documents the impact of changing food systems in developing and government have a moral duty to support Fair Trade countries, and investigates ways that smallholder farmers and the products. EB rural poor can access markets to lift them out of poverty. EB

The No-Nonsense Guide to World Food Unjust Rewards Wayne Roberts | 2008 | New Internationalist Polly Toynbee & David Walker | 2008 | Granta A short, thoughtful book that investigates the reasons behind A timely reminder that as the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. the unjust, undemocratic and unsustainable nature of the global The authors talk to Britain’s super rich and people living on the food system. Highlighting the difficulties of making ‘good’ food breadline, discovering what those inequalities mean in practice. choices, and the destructive effects cheap food has on health, They present their evidence as a challenge to Britain’s politicians society, the economy and the environment, Roberts also provides to reform the UK’s unfair tax and welfare policies. Compelling factual accounts of inspiring work already taking place. AB reading in today’s chilly economic climate. EB

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 35 forthcoming events

4th Dec ‘08 Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture 2008 Pesticide Action Network UK| www.pan-uk.org | London, UK

4th Dec ‘08 Ethical Shopping: The Producers’ Perspective Co-operative Forum | www.fairandsquare.coop | London, UK food food ethics 6th Dec ‘08 International Day of Climate Action Campaign Against Climate Change| www.campaigncc.org | London, UK

9th Dec ‘08 3rd National Food Markets Conferece: Growing a Market Market Squared | www.nationalfoodmarketsconference.co.uk | Blackpool, UK 9th Dec ‘08 Environmental Investment Forum Environmental Finance | www.environmental-finance.com | London, UK 10th - 12th Dec ‘08 Biomass and Energy Crops I National Rural| www.nationalrural.org | York, UK

11th Dec ‘08 Biofuels - A Viable Approach to Carbon Reduction? SCI Cambridge and Great Eastern Group| www.soci.org| Cambridge, UK

11th Dec ‘08 Climate Change: Effective Communication Talk Action| www.talkaction.org| London, UK

12th Dec ‘08 How To Ensure Food Security Today and Tomorrow? Syngenta Foundation | www.foodsecurityconference.ch | Zurich, Switzerland

16th Dec ‘08 Water Footprint Summit 2008 London Business Conferences| www.water-footprint.com| London, UK

20th - 23rd Dec ‘08 Slow Food Christmas Market Slow Food | www.southbankcentre.co.uk | London, UK

6th - 7th Jan ‘09 Organic Research Centre’s Producer Conference Organic Research Centre| www.organicinform.org| Shropshire, UK

20th - 21st Jan ‘09 Conference on Global Trade and Farm Animal Welfare Animal Welfare and Trade| www.animalwelfareandtrade.com| Brussels, Belgium 21st - 22nd Jan ‘09 Sustainably Sourcing and Tracing Agricultural Raw Materials and Ingredients www.sustainable-sourcing-agricultural-raw-materials.com/ | London, UK 25th Jan ‘09 London’s Charity Potato Fair and Seed Exchange Potato Fair| http://potatofair.org| London, UK

11th - 12th Feb ‘09 Green Retail - Engaging your Stakeholders Eventrus| www.eventrus-corporate.com/Green_Retail_09.htm| London, UK

12th Feb ‘09 Food Labelling in the Dock: Food Labelling Conference 2009 Food Manufacture| www.foodanddrinkevents.com/foodman| Warwick, UK

17th - 18th Feb '09 International Conference on Sustainable Production, Trade, Consumption and Lifestyle NürnbergMesse| www.sustainability-conference.de/en/| Nuremburg, Germany

19th - 22nd Feb '09 BioFach 09 - The World Organic Trade Fair NürnbergMesse| www.biofach.de/en/| Nuremburg, Germany

5th - 8th Mar '09 18th Annual Meeting: Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Association for Practical and Professional Ethics| www.indiana.edu.ac | Cincinnatti, USA

15th - 19th Mar '09 International Food and Drink Event Fresh RM| www.ife.co.uk| London, UK