Expert Perspectives on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Australia

Abstract

Purpose.

To examine food system experts' explanations for the consistently low level of fruit and vegetable consumption in Australia and what can be done to increase it.

Design.

A qualitative survey of food system experts.

Setting.

The survey was administered online to experts across Australia between August and November 2008 using SurveyMonkey.com.

Subjects.

Key informants (N = 332) in sectors ranging from farming through food waste disposal; 122 usable responses were analyzed.

Measures.

Opinions about fruit and vegetable consumption were collected through open-ended questions. Respondent background information was also collected.

Analysis.

Identification of key themes via qualitative analysis.

Results.

Many reasons for inadequate consumption were suggested, most of which related to inadequacies in the supply of fruit and vegetables. However, the most commonly cited solutions focused on increasing consumer demand.

Conclusion.

The incongruence between reasons for inadequate consumption and proposed solutions presents a challenge and suggests a need to shift policy priorities towards improving the supply of fruit and vegetables. Several well-coordinated approaches between the various sectors are needed to maximize outcomes. They include some outside the scope of traditional health promotion efforts.