A Hort Innovation program aims to contribute $3.3 billion to vegetable growers and the supply chain, to tackle low and declining consumption in Australia
A new research and development program funded by Hort Innovation is aiming to increase the daily vegetable consumption of Australians by one serve a day.
The six-year program, funded by Hort Innovation through the Frontiers Healthy Living Investment Theme, has been developed in response to low and declining daily vegetable consumption, Hort Innovation says.
It will incorporate insights and lessons from global best practice programs to maximise outcomes for industry and growers, Hort Innovation adds.
The program is expected to contribute $3.3 billion to vegetable growers and across the supply chain and create 13,000 new jobs in regional communities, according to Hort Innovation.
It will also lead to a $1.4 billion reduction in healthcare costs – Hort anticipates – contributing a total $4.7 billion in net economic benefit.
Australians today are only consuming on average 1.8 serves of vegetables per person per day, according to Hort Innovation, which is 135g, or around half a cup of vegetables – instead of the recommended five pieces per day.
By increasing daily vegetable intake by one serve per person per day, Hort Innovation says it adds up to more than 9.1 billion additional serves annually, or 680 thousand tonnes of vegetables consumed.
“Only 6.1 per cent of Australians are eating the recommended five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day,” Hort Innovation CEO Brett Fifield says.
“The chronic underconsumption of veggies affects all Australians, which means eating one more veggie every day will have a positive impact on all of us.
“By tapping into what will really drive behaviour change, we believe this research program will help us work towards both a healthier Australia and a prosperous vegetable industry.”
More than 48 cross-sector organisations spanning industry, research science, healthcare, government and community outreach have co-designed the program to understand the most effective ways to get Australians to eat an extra serve of vegetables each day.
The program will run until 203 and is expected to see every dollar invested yielding a $12.30 return over six years.