FAO and CIRAD join forces to promote sustainable production of fruit and vegetables

20 September 2021, Rome/Montpellier - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) today launched an important publication in support of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021.

Vitamin, mineral and fibre-rich, fruit and vegetables are vital for nutritious diets, and the sector contributes to increasing biodiversity and improving livelihoods.  But it faces numerous challenges in production, transport and trade that lead to high prices, making fruit and vegetables inaccessible to many, especially in low- and middle-income countries. 

Fruit and vegetables are highly perishable products, which can result in loss and waste, and given that many are consumed raw or uncooked, they may also pose a risk for foodborne illnesses.  Furthermore, inappropriate pest and disease management of crops can lead to food safety and trade risks due to pesticide contamination or pest introduction.
"Fruit and vegetables make an important contribution to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals" said FAO Deputy Director-General, Beth Bechdol. "Knowledge products and strategic and transformative partnerships like the ones being presented today will put us on the right track us to achieve the SDGs, with a focus on better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better lives, leaving no one behind" she added. 
CIRAD Chief Executive Officer Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin stressed the merits of the partnership between FAO and CIRAD and called for more investment in horticulture, the "poor relation in terms of agricultural research [...] The horticultural sector will be vital in pushing ahead with an agroecological transition that combines the idea of "One Health" and territory-based approaches. We need to sustain and indeed increase investment in this field", she added.

The vast diversity of fruit and vegetable crop species and their varieties offer numerous opportunities for small-scale farmers to produce nutritious and high-value crops in their rural, peri-urban, and urban environment, using relatively small areas of land. 

Market liberalization and growth in international trade have created export opportunities for the horticultural sector in many countries. In parallel, rapid urbanization and income growth have led to increased consumption of horticultural produce, thereby expanding opportunities for small-scale producers and other stakeholders in horticultural food systems. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), empowering small-scale farmers in low-middle -income countries to increase their production of safe and nutritious fruit and vegetables in ways that protect the environment, generate income, and create social equity is a priority. 

IC UAC according to fao