2021 has been designated as The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables by the UN General Assembly, to draw attention to and raise awareness of the importance of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition, food security and health.

According to the FAO website, up to 50 percent of fresh produce from developing countries are lost in the supply chain before consumption.

Their appeal is to help improve healthy food production with innovation and technology, making it more sustainable and reducing the amount of food waste and loss.

By reducing food loss and waste, helps improve food security and nutrition, along with reducing emissions, lowering pressure on water and land resources and increases productivity and economic growth – having a greater impact all round.

The appeal also aims to raise awareness and draw attention to food wastage from a consumer, food manufacturing and service point of view.

A recent report by wrap estimated that annual food wastings in the UK was at around 9,5 million tones (cubed) in 2018 across household, hospitality & food service, food manufacturing, retail and wholesale sectors.

Household waste equated to approximately 4.5 million tonnes (cubed) equivalent to £13.8 bn in food wasted a year. You can read the wrap report last updated in January 2020 HERE.

These figures are staggering and we are all guilty of and can do our own bit to help with food waste. Whether that’s buying less, freezing more, using leftovers, using up perfectly good fresh produce after the ‘best before’ date (where safe to do so).

For more information on the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables in our lives, their health and nutrition benefits, along with the need for sustainable production and issues for action, download the FAO International Year of Fruit and Veg Background Paper.