Fruits and vegetables for healthy diets: Priorities for food system research and action

Harris, Jody; de Steenhuijsen Piters, Bart; McMullin, Stepha; Bajwa, Babar; de Jager, Ilse; and Brouwer, Inge D. 2023. Fruits and vegetables for healthy diets: Priorities for food system research and action. In Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation, eds. Joachim von Braun, Kaosar Afsana, Louise O. Fresco, Mohamed Hag Ali Hassan. Pp. 87-104.

Fruits and vegetables are vital for healthy diets, but intake remains low for a majority of the global population. This chapter reviews academic literature on food system issues, as well as opportunities for research and action, as an input into the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit in the context of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.

The chapter summarises evidence underpinning food system actions to make fruits and vegetables more available, accessible and desirable through push (production and supply), pull (demand and activism) and policy (legislation and governance) mechanisms, with action options at the macro (global and national), meso (institutional, city and community) and micro (household and individual) levels. It also suggests the need to recognise and address power disparities across food systems, and trade-offs among diet, livelihood and environmental food system outcomes.

We conclude that there is still a need to better understand the different ways that food systems can make fruits and vegetables available, affordable, accessible and desirable across places and over time, but also that we know enough to accelerate action in support of fruit- and vegetable-rich food systems that can drive healthy diets for all.