The WHOFAO Fruit and Vegetable Promotion Initiative

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The WHO-FAO Fruit and Vegetable Promotion
Initiative

• Ingrid Keller MSc, MPH
• Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and
  Health
• The Fruit and Vegetable Initiative!

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World Health is in Transition
Epidemiological NCD overriding CD, double
burden of diseases in many developing
countries. Nutritional Diets are rapidly
changing, physical activity reduced.
Demographic Population ageing. Globalization
Increasing global influences.
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World Deaths in 2000 attributable to selected
leading risk factors
Number of deaths (000s)
Source WHR 2002
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The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity
and Health
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The Strategy is the outcome of extensive
consultation with all stakeholders

• 81 countries attended 6 regional consultations
• 11 UN agencies
• 22 international NGOs
• 25 industry associations
• DG-CEO and senior executives roundtable with 13
  companies
• DG-NGO roundtable with 13 NGOs
• Expert Reference Group advised process

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Foundation of the Strategy

• Prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
• addressing risk factors, impacting multiple NCDs
  rather than single diseases
• Multisectoral action
• expanding impact and sustainability by
  coordinating efforts of ministries, experts, and
  researchers in health, nutrition, education,
  physical activity, urban planning, economics,
  trade transport

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Global Strategy - content

• Introduction
• The challenge
• The opportunity
• Goals and Objectives
• Evidence for Action
• Principles for Action
• Responsibilities for Action (WHO Member States,
  International Partners, Civil Society/NGOs,
  Private Sector)
• Follow-up and Future Developments
• Conclusions

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Fruit and Vegetables in the Global Strategy - I

• 4 cites the major risk factor factors
  worldwide, including inadequate intake of fruit
  and vegetables
• Facts
• Up to 2.7 million lives could potentially be
  saved each year if fv consumption were increased
  
• Up to 30 of upper gastro-intestinal track
  cancers prevented as well as CVD obesity

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Fruit and Vegetables in the Global Strategy - II

• 22 increase the consumption of fruits and
  vegetables recommendation based on several
  international and national reports and
  guidelines
• 59 suggests that international standards could
  include steps to increase fruit and vegetable
  consumption

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Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and
Health selected recommendations to Member States

• Develop diet strategies and guidelines
• Start nutrition education, media literacy primary
  school - to promote healthier diets, counter food
  fads and misleading dietary advice
• Encourage positive, healthy messages
• Coordinate school policies with health priorities
• Make national food and agricultural policies
  consistent with the protection and promotion of
  public health

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Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and
Health selected recommendations to NGOs

• Form networks to promote the availability of
  healthy foods.
• Organize campaigns and events that will stimulate
  action.
• Emphasize the role of governments in promoting
  healthy diets, monitor progress.
• Play an active role in implementing the GS.
• Contribute to putting knowledge and evidence into
  practice.

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Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and
Health selected recommendations to the private
sector

• Promote healthy diets in accordance with national
  guidelines, international standards and the GS
• Develop and provide affordable, healthy and
  nutritious choices to consumers
• Provide consumers and national authorities with
  product and nutrition information
• Practise responsible marketing
• Issue simple, clear and consistent food labels
  and evidence-based health claims

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The WHO-FAO Fruit and Vegetable Promotion
Initiative
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Activities

• WHO FAO participate in 3rd Intl 3 A Day
  Symposium, Berlin 2003
• WHO meeting on fv, Aug 03
• Official announcement of WHO/FAO initiative, Nov
  03
• WHO/FAO workshop on fv and health, Sept 04
• Formalization of WHO/FAO initiative, Oct 04 (?)

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Proposed goal

• to strengthen, promote and protect
• health in the context of an overall healthy
• diet by guiding the development of
• sustainable actions at community,
• national and global levels that, when
• taken together, will lead to reduced risk
• of NCD through increased fruit and vegetable
• consumption.

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Proposed objectives

• To increase the overall awareness understanding
  of the role of fv in NCD prevention
• To increase fv consumption through PH and
  agricultural action, emphasizing environmental
  and policy change
• To encourage support development and
  implementation of national fv promotion
  programmes which
• are sustainable, comprehensive
• actively engage all sectors
• To support research relevant to production
  consumption
• To develop the human resources required to design
  and implement fruit and vegetable promotion
  programmes.

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Players

• WHO FAO and other UN agencies
• Close involvement of all ROs
• Existing 5 A Day programmes
• Research institutions
• Health NGOs e.g. Cancer and Heart Associations
• Private sector

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Develop an Alliance

• Project committee
• Steering committee
• Working groups on
• Science and definitions
• Best practice
• Supply, access and production issues
• Campaigns, advocacy, social marketing
• Fundraising

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The meeting also elaborated

• Recommendations for roles of WHO FAO
• 4 stages of fv promotion programme
  implementation
• Research agenda

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Selected research recommendations

• Define fv, method of measuring fv intake,
  portion size
• Protective effects of fv consumption
• CVD, DM, obesity
• Effectiveness of fv promotion interventions
• Production, supply chain issues incl. food safety

Background papers for workshop in Kobe
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Report title page
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Proposed logo not adopted (yet)
A catchy slogan is still missing
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The way forward

• Formalization of initiative WHOFAO
• FAO has fv in work plan for 2006-11
• Implementation of GS at country level
• Emphasis on fv promotion
• 5 A Day programmes as natl. driving force
• 5 A Day to partner with Regional Networks
  CARMEN, CINDI, NANDI
• WHO to advice countries on work with private
  sector
• Exemplify 5 A Day - PPP

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Thank you