The British Growers Association is urging the fresh produce industry to get behind the crowdfunding campaign which has been launched to champion VEG POWER. VEG POWER is a marketing fund that will use top people in the advertising industry to create impactful, innovative digital campaigns aimed at children. The campaign is aiming to raise £100,000 through crowdfunding to allow it to develop ideas to inspire kids to love veg, and to support parents to get more veg into their children’s diets.
VEG POWER has been created by Peas Please, the Food Foundation’s initiative to increase UK veg consumption, and is supported by celebrities including Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Jack Ward, Chief Executive of British Growers Association said: “Research shows that 80 per cent of children in the UK are not eating enough veg. The Food Foundation is leading a campaign to do something about this and British Growers has been behind this initiative from the outset. It has already achieved great things in engaging with retailers, and this is a fantastic opportunity to influence the next generation of potential veg consumers.
“As an organisation we are putting our money where our mouth is and pledging support through the Crowd Funding page. I would urge all those associated with or involved in the fresh produce industry to do the same.”
The long-term goal is for VEG POWER to be sustainably funded by Government and the Food Industry, and VEG POWER aims to prove that investing in promoting vegetables will change children’s attitudes and offer health benefits leading to huge savings across the NHS by reducing the cost of treating diet-related disease. The NHS currently spends over £10 billion per year treating Type 2 Diabetes alone.
More information can be found at the VEG POWER website at www.vegpower.org.uk, and people can pledge money for the campaign at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/vegpower.