News

01 - July - 2008why not give way to temptation

Figures published by the Department of Health reveal more than 30 per cent of people do it five times a day.  Adam and Eve started it and now NFU Cymru members are following in their footsteps to encourage people across the country to join them in a new campaign. But fear not, fig leaves are optional - it’s all about eating British fruit and vegetables.

Modelled on the famous artworks of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, by Rubens, Cranach and Durer, the image behind the new Why Horticulture Matters campaign shows that giving in to temptation can be a good thing. Eating your five a day has never been more important and making use of British seasonal fruit and vegetables to create healthy, tasty meals has never been easier.

The campaign delves into the diverse world of British fruit, vegetables and flowers and all it means to the nation’s wealth and health. Taking the current national Five A Day campaign and asking people to eat their five a day the British way, NFU Cymru believes Adam and Eve perfectly represent the urge to give in to the temptation of British fruit and veg.

Walter Simon, Horticulture Board delegate for NFU Cymru said, “We wanted to capture the public’s imagination with this image and chose Adam and Eve as iconic figures synonymous with eating the apple.                                                                                   

They are just one of the great British offerings and we want people to embrace this idea of eating their five a day the British way.

“To help we have a seasonal chart available on NFU online and we hope consumers will get onboard by taking these ideas to the supermarket and buying fresh fruit and vegetables produced by our growers.”

So why does horticulture matter?

·        An estimated £1.2 billion is contributed to the British economy from horticulture alone

·        37,000 people currently work in the industry with an additional 4.8 million seasonal days for migrant workers

·        120 growers reduced their carbon emissions under the Climate Change Levy scheme - equivalent to taking 15,000 family cars off the road in 2006

·        In terms of the nation’s health, five portions of fruit and veg a day are said to reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses

·        In terms of the countryside farmers and growers carry out more than £400m of unpaid conservation work each year

Welsh Health Survey figures show that adults eating their five a day is on the increase. NFU Cymru hopes that by launching the campaign in time for the current summer harvest consumers will join the 30 per cent of people already doing it five times a day – the British way.