United Nations Marks 2021 As International Year Of Fruits And Vegetables

Promisingly, this new United Nations campaign carries distinct echoes of the philosophy we are promoting through our global Movement of Life project and its ‘Free Food for All’ campaign. For example, it specifically refers to fruits and vegetables providing an abundance of nutrients, strengthening immune systems, and lowering the risk of diseases. Reference is also made to the need for everyone to have access to the nutrition they need, as well as how growing fruits and vegetables can generate more income for farmers.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from undernourishment. Many of these people survive on as little as one meal a day. Not only does this result in numerous negative health effects, in the case of school children it also affects their concentration and ability to learn. This means that under-nutrition has a direct effect on a country’s economic potential.

In our ‘Free Food for All’ campaign, we teach people about the health-promoting properties of fruits and vegetables. We also help people in developing countries set up school and community gardens where they can grow vitamin-rich food to feed themselves, their families, and their friends. Instead of expecting their futures to depend upon aid money from the big global institutions and international aid charities, we teach people in developing countries how to help themselves. After experiencing the benefits of an improved diet, many of them are then inspired to set up their own gardens at home. As their harvests increase, they are often then able to sell their surplus produce to improve the family’s income.

To see examples of our ‘Free Food for All’ campaign in action, check out the photo albums in the Gallery section of the Movement of Life website.