Only one in ten children and a third of adults are eating enough fruit and vegetables. Even without taking waste into account, the UK would need to produce or import 9% more fruit and vegetables for everyone in the UK to be able to eat the recommended amount.
More than 80% of our fruit and almost half of our vegetables now come from imports, many of them exotic and tropical varieties that could not be grown in Britain. According to research healthier foods are nearly three times as expensive per calorie as less healthy foods, meaning people switch away from purchasing fruit and vegetables when budgets are tight.
Earlier SHEFS reports have shown that if everyone in the UK ate the recommended 400-gram a day fruit and vegetable intake, healthy life expectancy would increase by an average of eight months and diet-related greenhouse gas emissions would reduce by more than 8%.
Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, commented: “As the government takes forward the development of the Horticulture Strategy for England – which is now long overdue – we show it must aim to increase both production and consumption of British fruit and veg. This will make a significant difference to the nation’s health and help our farmers. It’s a win-win.”
The researchers say there are four key priorities for policy makers:
- Supporting increased fruit and vegetable consumption - through initiatives such as sensory food education for young children and investing in TV and online advertising
- Protecting low-income consumers – by expanding schemes such as Free School Meals and Healthy Start that provide a nutritional safety net for children
- Boosting domestic fruit and vegetable supply - so UK fruit and vegetable supply chains are not unsustainably dependent on imports from countries likely to experience future climate and water stress
- Making better use of Government – ensure all taxpayer-funded meals in schools, hospitals, prisons and government offices include two portions of vegetables, with fruit as an additional portion if used as a dessert