Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, key ingredient for a brighter future - Australia as example

Currently, only 5% of Australian adults and children are appropriately satisfying the recommended daily serves of fruit and vegetables in accordance to the ?Australian Guide for Healthy Eating? (Nutrition Australia 2015). Not only is this a major issue for the health of our nation, but such low consumption rates are extremely concerning for Australia?s Fresh Produce Industry. Current consumer behaviours, values and attitudes indicate the need for a consistent supply of healthy, versatile and flavorsome fresh produce items (George 2016). Projected key growth areas for the Australian Produce Industry include:- Sustainability- Providence- Health Awareness- Convenience- Product Innovation- Collaboration of Agriculture, Technology & Investment Harvesting consumer demands remains the key to increasing consumption of fresh produce items. Not only would an improved consumption rate decrease prevalence of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, dental cavities and several cancers (Morgan 2007). It would also attract capital investment and government support to enable the industry to take a more collaborative approach to product development and innovation. Attempts such as the ?Go for 2 & 5? and ?Pick Right, Feel Bright? campaigns highlight the need for a multi-faceted approach by government and industry stakeholders to increase consumption of fresh produce items and ?grow a brighter future? for Australia. The text before is the summary of the paper "Increasing Consumption- The Key Ingredient to Growing a Brighter Future in Australia" by Hayleigh Dawson, Bachelor of Agribusiness & Bachelor of Applied Science, kindly sent by Vanessa Kennedy, Communications Executive, Brisbane Markets Limited. The full paper, available below, also considers the projected key growth items, which include avocados, indigenous / native australian ingredients, and "superfoods", as well as an analysis of the beneficts for the industry, and the consumers. For the industry, beside the direct benefits from an increased demand, "would also allow the industry to take a more collaborative approach to product development and innovation. This would therefore attract a greater capital investment and encourage government funding to improve current production systems allowing for industry expansion."