The Prince of Wales' plea to urge the armed forces, hospitals, schools and Whitehall ministries to buy local food could be having an effect.

Pilot schemes were announced this week by Sir Donald Curry, the government's sustainable food and farming enforcer. Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Curry explained he had been talking to ministers and officials to encourage them to support UK produce.

He added that there ways around the EU regulations stipulating that institutional caterers must buy from the cheapest supplier only. Curry said: 'Local procurement of goods would give a huge boost to our local suppliers and benefit the local food chain, the environment and the consumer who will get fresher food.' He explained that by specifying that food must be seasonal or fresh, caterers could buy local food in a way compliant with EU law, and he was prepared to put pressure on the government to encourage this.

Curry was backed by agriculture secretary Margaret Beckett. She said she was already pursuing the sustainability of sourcing local foods.