Less than one in ten Lombards consumes the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, according to a report by Coldiretti Lombardia, which analyzed Istat data during a conference focused on innovation and sustainability in the supply chain, held in Berlin at Fruit Logistica. Only 6.2% of the population reaches the suggested five daily servings, while 76.6% consume between two and four servings each day. Lombard families have shown a decline in regular consumption of fruits and vegetables, which has decreased from 83% in 2010 to 78% in 2023.
Coldiretti emphasizes the importance of enhancing nutritional education in schools to promote the consumption of fresh and seasonal products, calling for institutional support to raise awareness among young people about the significance of the Mediterranean diet. Furthermore, it highlights how the decrease in consumption negatively impacts not only public health but also the national fruit and vegetable sector, which has seen a significant loss of cultivated land over the past fifteen years. The situation is exacerbated by factors such as unsatisfactory prices for farmers and climate change, which further undermine local production.
