Making fruit and vegetables available to all
Joint FAO/WHO workshop to address the need for increased fruit and vegetable consumption
1 September 2004 | Kobe, Japan - Nutrition, health and agriculture experts will gather to discuss the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption on health, and better ways to make fruit and vegetables available to the people who currently cannot access enough. The World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will hold a joint Workshop on Fruit and Vegetables for Health in Kobe, Japan, from 1 to 3 September 2004 to discuss issues surrounding fruit and vegetable production and consumption and the effects on health and disease.
The workshop will develop a draft framework for cost-effective interventions to promote increased production, availability and access, and adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables in Member States. When finalised, the framework will serve as a tool for countries to strengthen their national efforts for promoting healthy diets through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, adopted by the 57th World Health Assembly in May 2004 also stressed the important role of fruits and vegetables in preventing diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). As part of the strategy, Member States stressed that WHO should promote fruit and vegetable consumption worldwide, especially in developing countries.
This Joint FAO/WHO workshop in Kobe will review the existing evidence on the role of fruit and vegetables in promoting good nutrition and health in general, and prevention of micronutrient deficiencies and NCDs in particular; review the effectiveness of existing interventions and promotion programmes to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption; review incentives for and barriers to increased fruit and vegetable consumption from both supply and demand sides; and identify and prioritize areas for further research.
The World Health Report 2002 identified low fruit and vegetable intake as one of the top 10 risk factors contributing to mortality and attributes at least 2.7 million deaths globally each year to low fruit and vegetable intake. Cumulative evidence shows that fruit and vegetables as part of the daily diet could help prevent major micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiencies and NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
The meeting takes place at the International Conference Room, WHO Centre for Health Development, Kobe, Japan (I.H.D. Centre Building, 9th floor, 5-1, 1-chome, Wakinohama-Kaigandori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073 Japan), from 1-3 September.
The workshop is closed to media, but for more information about the issues, journalists can contact: