More schools and hospitals should be encouraged to serve organic food, according to environment minister Michael Meacher.

The government has set a target for public organisations to increase the amount of organic ingredients used. Meacher said he wants to see the amount of organic food served in schools, hospitals and other outlets to reflect or exceed the amount of organic food that is sold by the supermarkets.

Speaking at a Soil Association event on March 19, Meacher said: 'If we believe in better quality food, then we need to look at whether school meals provide value for money rather than assessing their cheapness. Food affects behaviour, and good food will have wider social and cultural benefits.' It is estimated that schools have just 35p per pupil, per meal to spend on ingredients, and some commercial caterers may be making as much as 28p per pupil, per meal in profit. As a result, many school meals consist of cheap ingredients such as sugar and starch.

Meacher praised groundbreaking projects such as St Peter's school in Nottinghamshire where fresh local and organic meals are made in the school's own kitchen. The meals cost around 60p per pupil, per meal, but manage to keep within budget by cutting out contract catering costs.

'This is a pattern that we need to see across the country and I am determined that the government must make progress in this area,' stressed Meacher.

He welcomed a suggestion that nutrition-based standards should be reintroduced for school meals, because current standards do not generally achieve government nutritional targets.

When asked whether nutrition should be part of the national curriculum in England and Wales Meacher was very supportive: 'I believe that children should be taught about food and nutrition. They need to be taught how crops are grown, and the effects of poor quality food.' Meacher unveiled a target to ensure that 70 per cent of organic food is sourced from UK farmers by 2010 – the commitment to drastically reduce imports was stated in the government's organic action plan published last year, but no timescale was given.

The Soil Association was praised for a number of initiatives, including its work to promote the benefits of food and farming to the public, and for its network of 40 demonstration farms which attract 300,000 visitors each year.

During the event, Meacher spoke about a number of related issues. Concerning organic standards he commented: 'Standards are vital for maintaining consumer confidence. The organic sector must continue to demonstrate that it produces goods in a way that differs significantly from other forms of production. I have no doubt it will do so.' And on the subject of genetically-modified crops he said: 'I recognise that the Soil Association's concerns about GM crops are far ranging. I am particularly conscious of the fact that the possible – and I repeat possible – commercial cultivation raises important questions about choice, co-existence and liability. These are very important issues and the bottom line is that our approach will need to be consistent with our support for the Organic Action Plan.'