Fruit & Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets:
2024 FRESH Science Conference

Dates: August 26-27, 2024

Location: Mount Meru Hotel, Arusha, Tanzania

Overview

Poor diets are a primary cause of malnutrition and the leading cause of disease worldwide. Improving diets, especially through increasing fruit and vegetable intake, can help to address these health and nutrition challenges. However, fruit and vegetable intake falls below recommended levels globally. The factors contributing to low fruit and vegetable consumption are complex, requiring integrated approaches that address the availability, accessibility, affordability, and desirability of fruit and vegetables. Collaboration and engagement across the food system are essential to make progress towards healthier diets.

Join the CGIAR Research Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) for a two-day event in Arusha, Tanzania, focused on sharing knowledge and strengthening capacity to enhance fruit and vegetable supply and consumption. The FRESH Science Conference will bring together researchers, partners, and national stakeholders from across the food system. Presentations will mainly focus on research and activities implemented in Tanzania and East Africa but will also highlight work related to fruit and vegetables in other countries.

Objectives

• Share end-to-end strategies (demand, supply, food environments, and enabling environment) for sustainably increasing the production and consumption of fruit and vegetables for healthy diets.

• Examine current evidence, innovations, and experiences on addressing the availability, accessibility, affordability, and desirability of fruit and vegetables.

• Strengthen the network of partners working on fruit and vegetables in Tanzania, East Africa, and other FRESH focus countries.

Thematic Areas

Conference sessions will focus on the following thematic areas:

1. Dietary patterns and approaches to promote healthier diets.

2. Development and scaling of innovations in fruit and vegetable production, including new vegetable seed varieties and strengthened seed systems.

3. Safe and sustainable production for year-round access to vegetables.

4. Post-harvest management and food safety considerations.

5. Understanding and leveraging food environments to support healthier diets.

6. Policies and strategies that address fruit and vegetable demand, supply, and food environments.

Additional Information

The FRESH Science Conference will consist of 1.5 days of science and implementation presentations, poster presentations, and a half-day reserved for field visits to local fruit and production hubs or markets. The conference agenda will be shared soon. For more information, please contact freshtz@cgiar.org.

About FRESH

The CGIAR Research Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) uses an end-to-end approach to increase fruit and vegetable intake, and in turn, improve diet quality, nutrition, and health, while also improving livelihoods, empowering women and youth, and mitigating environmental impacts. FRESH is conducting research in Tanzania, Benin, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.