Peas Please project reports impressive results

Peas Please is announcing the huge increase in the number of vegetable portions the award-winning Food Foundation initiative has delivered into the UK food system.

Since its inception four years ago, an additional 636 million portions of veg have been sold or served by major food companies across the UK. This represents nearly a 300 % increase on last year. The Peas Please report has also been released today (1 December 2021) which shows how the initiative works to make vegetables more appealing, accessible, and affordable for everyone.

The Food Foundation in partnership with Food Sense Wales, Nourish Scotland, Belfast Food Network and Food NI has delivered the Peas Please initiative across the UK, which clearly shows the huge impact transparent reporting can have. Over the past year, 21 pledging businesses refreshed and updated their original pledges, with many committing to SMART targets and transparent reporting of sales of vegetables within their businesses. This will play a vital role if rapid transformation of our food system is going to be achieved, to curb the current heath crisis facing the country, and help tackle climate change.

This was echoed in Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy published in July, which calls on Government to introduce mandatory reporting for large food companies to achieve the substantial shift in the nation’s diet required to reduce the environmental and health impacts of our current food system.     Many major food businesses have already publicly declared their support showing a huge shift in the food industries desire to be part of the solution. UK retailers with 92% of UK retail market share are currently signed up to Peas Please and are now committing to major initiatives to help drive up vegetable consumption across the UK setting ambitious targets for veg sales and procurement.

Anna Taylor, executive director the Food Foundation, said: “It is great to see over 100 major food businesses committed to increasing veg consumption to support better health for millions of people.  Transparent and regular reporting against targets is vital if we are to turn the tide on our current dietary crisis and see future generations face a better and healthier future with everyone having access to an affordable and sustainable diet.”

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