A new R&D program is setting out to increase the daily vegetable consumption of Australians by one serve a day.
Funded by Hort Innovation, the six-year program is expected to:
- Contribute $3.3 billion to vegetable growers and across the supply chain
- Create 13,000 new jobs in regional communities
- Lead to a $1.4 billion reduction in healthcare costs
Hort Innovation says the program has been developed in direct response to “alarmingly low and declining” daily vegetable consumption. It will incorporate insights and lessons from global best practice programs to maximise outcomes for industry and growers.
Australians today are only consuming on average 1.8 serves of vegetables per person per day – which is 135g, or around half a cup of vegetables – instead of the recommended five pieces per day.
Increasing daily vegetable intake by just one serve per person per day adds up to more than 9.1 billion additional serves annually, or 680,000 tonnes of vegetables consumed.
“We know that only 6.1% of Australians are eating the recommended five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day,” says Hort Innovation CEO Brett Fifield.
“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. Consider better health, less pressure on our health system, our growers prospering, job creation, less waste – and all of this leads to a positive impact on the broader economy.
“In fact, by increasing the number of veggies consumed by just one serve, we would expect to see a $3.3 billion increase in value to the vegetable industry.
“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.”
The research program – overseen by Hort Innovation – has been co-designed by more than 48 cross-sector organisations spanning industry, research science, healthcare, government and community outreach to understand the most effective ways to get Australians to eat an extra serve of vegetables each day.
Led by AUSVEG
The program is being led by AUSVEG and will be supported by The Growth Advisory and Fiftyfive5.
“Critically low and declining vegetable consumption in Australia has been a major concern for many years,” says AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote.
“Not only is it extremely worrying for the health of Australians, but it presents major concerns for the long-term viability of Australia’s vegetable industry.
“By boosting vegetable consumption, there’s a multi-billion-dollar, triple-bottom-line of benefits to be realised – it’s good for Aussie vegetable growers, it’s good for the national economy, and it’s good for the health of all Australians.
“AUSVEG is excited to be working with Hort Innovation to lead this important work to get all Aussies eating one more serve of delicious, nutritious and affordable Australian-grown vegetables.”
The program will run until 2030 and is expected to see every dollar invested yielding a $12.30 return over six years.