Food for thought – summit in call for more people to eat up their greens
Organisations must Pledge for More Veg as five-a-day is ignored
Edinburgh is to host the first Scottish vegetable summit as the food industry makes a call for organisations to Pledge for More Veg.
The announcement was made by Nourish Scotland, with Scotland Food & Drink helping to support the event on 24 October at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.
Other summits will run in London and Cardiff on the same day. The day-long conference will challenge large and small businesses, government departments and local authorities to commit to support change in our diets and consumption habits, placing more vegetables firmly on the national agenda.
Pete Ritchie, director of Nourish Scotland, said: “Five a day is one of the most recognised health messages in the world. But we’re still not doing it.
“In fact, 80 per cent of adults in the UK aren’t eating enough veg.
“We recognise that it is the food system which needs to change to support consumers to make healthier choices. We have collaborated with over 150 organisations including growers, wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, restaurateurs, fast food chains, experts and government to identify the food system challenges to veg consumption and find ways in which these barriers can be overcome.”
The latest evidence from the Global Burden of Disease project shows that diet is the biggest risk factor to death and disability in the UK.
Research has shown that vegetables can protect us against most dietrelated disease, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Yet, one in four secondary school children and 13 per cent of primary school children eat less than one portion of veg a day, while half of adults eat less than 2.3 portions of veg a day.
Scottish Government statistics also reveal that 65 per cent of adults aged 16 and over are overweight, 29 per cent of whom are considered obese.
James Withers, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Scotland produces some of the best vegetables in the world. We need to consume more of what we are growing on our doorstep.
“Greater consumption of homegrown vegetables will support local producers and allow us to take greater steps to improve that nation’s dietary health.”