The CGIAR Research Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH), now under the CGIAR Science Program on Better Diets and Nutrition (BDN), developed an end-to-end approach to increase fruit and vegetable intake by addressing barriers across the food system. Building on this foundation, BDN is advancing the end-to-end approach in Northern Tanzania and Central Sri Lanka, focusing on co-designing, implementing, and scaling solutions. By increasing intake of fruit, vegetables, and other perishable nutrient-rich foods, this research aims to improve diet quality, nutrition, and health, while also supporting livelihoods, empowering women and youth, and mitigating environmental impacts.
The end-to-end approach is being implemented and evaluated by CGIAR researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and the International Potato Center (CIP) in collaboration with global and national partners, including the World Vegetable Center, Applied Horticultural Research, the University of Sydney Australia, the Institute of Development Studies Wageningen University & Research, the University of California Davis, Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, among others.
We would like to thank all funders who support this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: www.cgiar.org/funders.
Contact: Sonja Hess, PhD
Publications:
Interventions on Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Low-, Middle- and High-Income Countries: A Global Perspective, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, Volume 46, Issue 1 (suppl), September 2025
Diets, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutritional status in Benin, Fiji, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2025