Ausveg, the peak body representing the nation's vegetable and potato growers, wants to secure federal funds for a major new national campaign to address the trend of declining vegetable consumption. The average Australian currently consumes some 13 kilograms fewer vegetables per year than 20 years ago.
North west Tasmanian farmer Mike Badock, a National Farmers' Federation Horticulture Council Tasmanian representative and former Ausveg chair, said he supports a fresh campaign to get people eating more vegetables: "There used to be a promotion telling people to eat three fruits and five vegetables a day for their health, but on average, people were only consuming two veggies per day. We argued that if we could increase it to five, we more than doubled our industry, and that's still relevant today as a great health initiative as well.”
"We've got to recreate the excitement for vegetables, promoting the health benefits and local community hubs where people can buy and sell and bring in surplus product to distribute especially to people in need. With people eating so much fast food, we've got to make fresh vegetables as available as fast food," Badcock added.
Source: begadistrictnews.com.au