Today@Dal

We do not eat enough produce. In fact some surveys suggest that 59 per cent of Canadians do not eat their daily required servings of vegetables and fruits. According to a recent study from two universities – Ontario’s Guelph, and Halifax’s Dalhousie – that percentage may have increased in recent months. The main reason is the higher prices at the retail level.

Most vegetable and fruit prices have increased by more than 10 per cent in the past 12 months. More than 1000 Canadians were surveyed on how they have coped with sticker shock in the produce aisle. Due to the higher prices, 26 per cent of Canadians have reduced their consumption of produce in the past 12 months. This is an alarming rate as, unlike meats or other products, there are no substitutes for fresh produce – however more than 45 per cent of Canadians have considered or purchased frozen produce.

One surprising result of the survey was that lower-income households saw juices as healthy alternatives to vegetables and fruits. But not all juices are equal in nutritional value, and some of them do very little to replace the benefits of fresh produce.

One other interesting fact about the study is how more access to data causes consumers to behave differently. The majority of respondents who walk into a store to buy produce without gathering any market data on price points were more likely to have walked away from the infamous cauliflower. Yet cauliflower prices were far from being the most volatile in recent months: Prices for lettuce, tomatoes, and oranges were much more volatile. Surveys suggest that consumers who visit stores more often were more likely to notice more volatile prices, as were those who use different technologies and sources. For example, smartphone apps and flyers are making consumers more informed.

Over all, the study provides evidence that lower income households are highly vulnerable to fluctuating produce prices, more so than other socio-demographic groups. The majority of consumers with lower incomes feel that price hikes are unjustified. Climate change and currency factors are identified as causes for higher prices by experts. As well, the less educated and less informed feel the same about recent price increases.

Most would admit that produce is not the most popular of all foods groups, but it is essential to nutrition needs, and thus, our quality of life. Making sure that Canadians eat properly is critical to the well being of our communities anywhere across the country. A significant group of consumers won’t hesitate a second to either walk away from the produce section of a store or find less than appropriate alternatives when prices are seen to rise. With what we know now in nutrition science, the situation can no longer be sustained.

Without intervening in price fixing, the federal government should proactively encourage consumers to purchase and consume produce on a regular basis – by providing appropriate data on when and how prices will change.

read more (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/victims-of-cauliflower-no-more-how-we-can-fix-produce-affordability/article30288300/?page=all)