Thumbnail Image

Effects of fruit and vegetable intakes on direct and indirect health outcomes

Background paper for the FAO/WHO international workshop on fruits and vegetables 2020










Gomes, F.S. and Reynolds, A.N. 2021. Effects of fruits and vegetables intakes on direct and indirect health outcomes  Background paper for the FAO/WHO International Workshop on fruits and vegetables 2020. Rome, FAO and PAHO.




Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    The effectiveness of policies and programmes promoting fruits and vegetables
    Background paper for the FAO/WHO International Workshop on fruits and vegetables 2020
    2021
    Also available in:
    No results found.

    Inadequate fruit and vegetable intake is a substantial contributor to the international burden of disease. Low fruit and vegetable intake is ranked among the leading dietary risk factors for mortality across low, middle, and high-income countries. But food decisions are complex. As a result, the reasons why people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables are complex. This paper, prepared as a contribution and input to the the FAO/WHO international workshop on fruits and vegetables 2020, reviews the challenges, opportunities and recommendations to develop effective policies and programmes promoting fruits and vegetables, from production to comsumption.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO/WHO International Workshop on Fruits and Vegetables in preparation for the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021
    Workshop report
    2021
    Also available in:

    In view of the upcoming International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (IYFV) to be observed in 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) organized the FAO/WHO International Workshop on Fruits and Vegetables 2020. The aim was to review global evidence surrounding the effectiveness of interventions and the policy, programmatic and scientific advances in the decades since the Joint FAO/WHO Workshop on Fruit and Vegetables for Health (Kobe, Japan, 2004). The overall goal of the FAO/WHO International Workshop on Fruits and Vegetables 2020 was to develop evidence-based, actionable recommendations for future policies, laws, regulations and programmes aiming to improve F&V consumption, production and value chains.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Promoting sustainable and inclusive value chains for fruits and vegetables - Policy review
    Background paper for the FAO/WHO International Workshop on Fruits and Vegetables 2020
    2021
    Also available in:
    No results found.

    The persistence of undernutrition and the increasing levels of overweight and obesity worldwide (with their associated societal costs) are calling for a transformation of food systems towards healthier diets. Fruits and vegetables are key components of a healthy diet; however, their consumption is considerably below the minimal levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This underconsumption is particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries and among low-income socio-economic groups in all countries. This paper uses the value chain approach to analyze the factors that affect the availability and affordability of fruits and vegetables. It examines major challenges across the value chain and identifies opportunities for improvement as seen through a nutrition-sensitive lens. Factors that negatively affect the availability and affordability of fruits and vegetables discussed in this paper include low production and productivity, the loss of agrobiodiversity, inadequate technology, logistics and infrastructure, weak organizational, business, and technical skills, and inefficient market linkages across the supply chain. The paper proposes a number of policy recommendations based on insights from documented cases of good practices and on lessons learned in domestic and export-oriented value chains. The paper makes a case for reviving native, underutilized, and neglected fruit and vegetable varieties to improve nutrition and increase agrobiodiversity. In addition, short value chains delivering to local markets are recommended as a resilience strategy for smallscale producers and low-income consumers in the face of climatic and economic shocks.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.