DECLARATION 2021 – X AIAM5’s GENERAL MEETING
Within the framework of the X General Assembly of members of the Global Alliance for the Promotion of the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables “5 A Day” (AIAM5), held virtually on November 30, 2021, attending 34 representatives from 27 national and international entities as well as full and colaborative members, from 24 countries, agreed that:
Whereas the AIAM5 Global Alliance has managed to mobilize its partners to align their activity agendas with the objectives and action plan of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables (AIFV), adopted by the United Nations.
Whereas fruits and vegetables are dietary essential, not only for people’s health, but also reduces health costs, while increase resilience of local and family economies, providing benefits to the environment that would contribute to mitigating the climate emergency.
Whereas the FAO / WHO international workshop on fruits and vegetables highlighted:
- fruits and vegetables are highly perishable foods, very susceptible to loss and waste, they require a lot of labour in their value chain and current food environments make them little competitive with ultra-processed foods.
- to go beyond training and information actions, and include strategies that guarantee that fruits and vegetables are more available, accessible and affordable.
- interventions to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables begin at an early age, from the first thousand days of life that includes pregnancy, and have the support of all health professionals in different settings, especially in primary care.
- the need to create specific regulations that allow nations to control the loss and waste of fruits and vegetables, which stand out from the rest of the food groups with the reduction of opportunities to satisfy the nutritional needs of millions of people.
Whereas the effort of the AIAM5 Global Alliance and its members during the IYFV, to position the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables in food policies, as an expeditious way to consolidate Sustainable Development Goal nº2 – Zero Hunger.
Whereas the exploratory consultation of the Scientific Committee of AIAM5 highlighted:
- only 2 countries of the 24 participants from various regions of the planet, comply with the WHO recommendation for the consumption of fruits and vegetables, that is, at least 400g / person / day or 5 servings between fruits and vegetables.
- the lack of public policies to reduce food waste and government support to national entities for the promotion of FV consumption, many of them called 5 a day
Whereas the AIAM5 Global Alliance, despite the COVID-19 pandemic has done intense work to raise awareness about the importance of daily consumption of fruits and vegetables in the diet of the world population, however, the fruit and vegetable sector considers the communication actions and activities carried out at institutional levels on the occasion of the AIFV to have been insufficient, and perceives that they have not had the desired impact on civil society.
Declare THAT
- The moment is now! The fruit and vegetable sector, civil society, academia and governments have a key role in creating and consolidating healthier and more sustainable food systems, where fruits and vegetables are available, accessible and affordable for all, leaving no one behind.
- The stimulus the IYFV has provided in 2021 must be maintained and the actions that stimulate and lead towards positioning fruits and vegetables in the nutrition of the world population must continue.
- The Global Alliance for the Promotion of Fruits and Vegetables the Consumption “5 A Day” (AIAM5), calls on governments to consolidate the World Fruits and Vegetables Day launched by the Alliance as a way to maintain the momentum of the IYFV. AIAM5 is committed to continuing the support to all its members to consolidate the objectives of IYFV, beyond 2021.
- It is essential that food-based dietary guidelines include clear messages about fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on sensory variety, the cultural, gastronomic and environmental relevance of indigenous varieties, proper management to reduce losses and waste, and the keys to sustainable consumption that reinforces the food literacy of the world population.
- Governments must be more proactive in protecting a sector as vulnerable as that of fruits and vegetables, on which the livelihood of millions of families in rural areas pivots, promoting a non-legally binding code of conduct for healthy and sustainable food systems that include adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables.
AGREEMENT OF THE X AIAM5 GENERAL MEETING. NOVEMBER 30, 2021