I'll ban school vending machines, vows Berry

She wants to make pupils' diets healthier by banning all genetically modified food in school diets as well as campaigning for a GM-free London.

Organic, vegetarian and vegan options will be available in schools as well as in hospitals and other public services.

She also wants to extend the free range poultry policy across the public sector and at public events. Existing allotments will be protected and 1,000 more will be introduced by 2012.

Farmers' markets will be encouraged to sell other local goods and produce and the aim is to increase the number of such markets to at least two per borough.

In her manifesto Ms Berry says: "London's food supply is currently highly unsustainable and does not provide healthy food for those who need it most.

"Around 80 per cent of London's food is imported from abroad and one third of all household waste is food-related. At the same time, four out of every 10 London children live below the poverty line and are unlikely to have access to nutritious food."

She added: "Our health depends on what we eat, but all the Government does about it is nag us. Meanwhile there's a 10-year waiting list for allotments, and farmers' markets and small food businesses are closing down. We'll give real support to local, healthy food.

Greens on the London Assembly have already set up London Food to increase the amount of local food we eat. With more assembly members we can do much more, including 1,000 more allotments by 2012, at least two farmers' markets per borough, stringent planning rules to increase open space including food gardens, and funding for food co-ops and community food initiatives."

Action on Londoners' diets is one of Ms Berry's many policies, which also feature an emphasis on cycling, more energy efficient homes and 60 per cent affordable housing. Another large part of the manifesto concentrates on recycling-with the establishment of a single waste authority for London rather than letting each borough act individually.

Under Ms Berry the waste authority would ensure all households get comprehensive weekly doorstep recycling and composting collections.

Support would be given for a new law to ban plastic bags and a money-back scheme would be started for containers returned to retailers. The Green Party has also pledged to look after small businesses, helping them compete against chain stores. Ms Berry said: "Smaller businesses put more of their profits back into their community, building-economic as well as environmental sustainability. And we all prefer having a wide range of unique businesses, instead of empty ghost-town high streets and big-box retail parks.

"So it's about time our community did more to help these businesses to compete against the multinationals.

"One thing I would do as mayor or assembly member is make sure that all new large developments made half their floor space available for small businesses at affordable rents.

"We need to defend our high streets, not let them be abandoned or swallowed up by identikit shopping centres, and we need to do more to support small and local manufacturers."

Although polls indicate that Ms Berry has minimal chance of winning on 1 May, Ken Livingstone has strongly indicated he will give her a job if he wins.

The two Green Party members on the London Assembly have been successful in pushing through policies, including tripling the annual budget for cyclists and walkers.