Trade organizations and commodity groups have always been at the forefront of increasing produce consumption, so it’s fallen to them to make the most of the Half Your Plate initiative.
New venues are playing a bigger role in spreading the word.
To Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s president and CEO, the medium is less important than the message— whether the venue is consumer-facing websites, academic publications and research, infographics, social media, or topical memes, the message must get out.
“I’m excited about the entire fruit and vegetable industry working together, leveraging its collective voice and resources to help consumers eat more produce, regardless of its form.”
Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda’s Specialty Produce Inc. in Los Alamitos, CA, suggests one way forward could be changing the way we think about food on an even more basic level: introducing the idea, much more common in other cultures, that food is not just sustenance but also medicine.
Natural health cures are more widely accepted when presented as part of the diet rather than in the form of supplements or medicines.
“We all know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but consumers now know that turmeric decreases inflammation, fresh coconut water hydrates, and ginger prevents nausea,” says Jackson Berkley.
“If our industry can continue to demonstrate how food is medicine, consumption will continue to increase.”
This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.
