The Fruit and Veg Taskforce and our Diet
Fruit and vegetable ‘task force’ ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn’s team of food policy advisers have told him to encourage the production and consumption of more home-grown fruit and vegetables. The Council of Food Policy Advisers, made up of industry leaders from across the food chain, also told Mr Benn to define a ‘sustainable diet’ and increase the Government’s food procurement programme. The fruit and vegetable ‘task force’ was a top priority. Government figures reveal UK self-sufficiency in fresh fruit halved between 1988 and 2007 to just above 10 per cent. Self-sufficiency in fresh vegetable production has fallen by 20 per cent since 1988 to 55 per cent and it continues to fall. Production of tomatoes, lettuces, mushrooms, cauliflowers and plums in particular have fallen sharply. Retailers, growers, and public procurers met recently to consider the barriers to greater consumption and production of fruit and vegetables in the UK. Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said UK growers had a ‘significant opportunity’ to increase the sustainable production of indigenous crops. “We believe that Defra should identify those indigenous crops with greater production potential than is achieved currently and ensure that the sector has the necessary tools to maximise this potential,” he said. Sustain highlights Defra's inability to get the government to buy Fairtrade or British produce. Only 8 per cent of tea and coffee purchased last year by the Department of Communities and Local Government was Fairtrade certified. In addition, the new £48 million School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will not be used to support British farmers.
