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It is now recognized that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is an important component of a healthy diet, and can help prevent micronutrient deficiency or degenerative diseases. According to a report by WHO in 2002, low F&V intake is considered to be a high-risk factor. In this context, WHO and FAO have decided to combine their efforts to promote F&V within the Kobe Framework, encouraging interdisciplinary action and national initiatives based on health-agriculture-education-trade partnerships. GlobalHort is now strongly involved in such initiatives. There are only a few clear, simple science-based messages: increased consumption of F&V is desirable to ensure better general dietary habits; 400 g per person is a minimum daily intake of a variety of F&V. In spite of poor documentation on F&V consumption which must be urgently addressed, it may be assumed that F&V consumption is too low in many developing countries; this is backed by global supply data and by local supply and consumption surveys, in places where these surveys have been carried out. An example is the critical situation in Africa where the average per capita F&V supply is far too low. Increasing the availability and consumption of F&V in African countries is a major challenge because of increasing urbanization, nutrition transitions, increasing prices and food safety concerns. One of the ways to increase public and institutions' awareness and promoting national initiatives is to organize and set up workshops, all over the world, especially in developing countries, organized in the framework of the Promotion of F&V for Health (PROFAV) initiative. Such workshops would be aimed at boosting multisectoral actions, in agriculture, health and education in order to address supply and demand deficits simultaneously and through coordinated campaigns based on two major supporting actions: development of a competent, efficient F&V supply chain, and public awareness about importance of F&V in balanced diets. As an introduction to the PROFAV workshop, this paper will present the main achievements of the initiative to date, along with expected actions. |
