The year 2021 has been declared as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables by the Food and Agriculture Organization. The aim is to raise awareness of the role that vegetables and fruits play in human nutrition, food security and health.
Highlights
The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables corresponds to the United Nations Decade of Family Agriculture. It also falls under the United Nations Decade of Food. They are further enhanced to give smaller producers more visibility. The theme is Awareness about the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables for balanced and healthy diet and lifestyle.
The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables focuses primarily on food waste. According to FAO, about 50% of fruit and vegetable production in developing countries is wasted. According to FAO, post-harvest losses on fruits and vegetables are high in sub-Saharan Africa and East and Southeast Asia. Losses during storage are large in East and Southeast Asia. In sub-Saharan Africa, farm losses occur. Loss and waste are minimal in South Asia. However, transportation losses are the highest in South Asia.
Importance of Fruits and Vegetables
The FAO and World Health Organization recommend that all adults eat at least 400 grams of vegetables and fruit daily. It helps prevent chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It also helps fight micronutrient deficiencies.
Objective
This year’s goals are: Raise awareness of the health benefits of vegetables and fruits. Advocates a healthy diet by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables. It promotes various international efforts so as to boost fruit and vegetable production. It helps to strengthen efforts to sustainably improve our value chain as well as encourages stakeholders to introduce innovative technologies and empower developing countries.
Global Action Plan of International Year of Fruits and Vegetables
A global action plan will be followed which was created by the FAO. The plan includes the following activities which are Knowledge creation, Awareness and Advocacy, Ability development, Policy making and Education.
