We were delighted to be invited to speak at a recent roundtable event hosted by innocent together with UKHarvest at their Nourish Hub, to discuss key issues surrounding food insecurity and food waste and highlight our work delivering the Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg projects.
Our Policy and Advocacy Manager, Amy Deptford joined speakers Dr Megan Blake from the University of Sheffield and Karina O’Gorman from innocent drinks.
Amy shared how we have seen our Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg projects transform the diets of adults and children, with fruit and veg consumption increasing by three portions a day for families receiving Rose Vouchers. We know that if people can afford to buy fresh fruit and veg, they will and that ultimately, when looking at how to improve the health of the nation, affordability and availability of a healthy diet is key.
Key messages from the event included:
- A healthy population needs a healthy food system. The UK’s food system is broken – unhealthy options are easier, cheaper and more convenient than healthier ones.
- Consequently, our diet is one of the leading causes of ill health in the UK and is impacting our economy, the NHS, our educational achievement, our labour force and our environment.
- Fruit and veg are the cornerstone of a healthy diet and planet, but we are not eating enough and the amounts we do eat have barely changed in over a decade.
- Where we live, and what we earn, shape the options available to us to be healthy.
We support the calls of action from the day to:
- Support local authorities to pilot and scale financial incentives for fresh fruit and veg using our Rose Voucher for Fruit & Veg and Fruit & Veg on Prescription projects as a blueprint for success.
- Maximise the impact of the Healthy Start Scheme by increasing the uptake and value and expanding eligibility.
- Ensure the cost of a healthy diet is taken into account when setting benefits levels and the minimum wage.
- Develop a comprehensive, cross-departmental horticulture strategy to boost fruit & veg production and consumption and appoint a Minister with specific horticultural responsibilities to provide direction and accountability for the sector as recommended by the House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee.
Thank you to Dr Rupy Aujila, founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen, for chairing a great discussion to inspire wider change in the food system and advocate for public policies that will make fruit and veg more affordable and available for everyone.