The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation has declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables. The aim is to raise awareness and share good practices on the contribution of fruit and vegetables to healthy diets and sustainable lifestyles, while also drawing attention to the importance of reducing loss and waste of fruit and vegetables.
In support of the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables (IYFV), we have developed an infographic to depict the interconnections between human health and the food we consume, specifically in this case, horticulture fresh produce. We are changing the frame of reference in terms of why horticulture production is important and why we might need to consider re-orienting the arguments for building more resilience into Irish production and consumption patterns of fresh produce.
A re-imagining of our food system and a re-valuing of horticulture fresh produce in terms of the role that it plays in human health will hopefully lead to a viable and sustainable Irish horticulture sector which promotes consumer health.