As we pointed out in previous blogs, there were some silver linings concerning produce safety and healthy eating in 2020.  We learned more about proper washing and preparation of fruits and vegetables, the immune-boosting effects from a plant-rich diet and many of us cooked our first meals, tried new recipes or improved our cooking skills.

As we move into 2021 and see a potential light for the end of this pandemic, here are some wishes from the Alliance for Food and Farming for this year in produce:

• Organizations that routinely disparage the safety of popular, more affordable and accessible fruits and vegetables will finally prioritize public health. With peer reviewed studies showing inaccurate fear-based messaging about produce safety may discourage low income consumers from purchasing any produce – organic or conventional – it is time to retire this practice and use those resources to encourage consumption instead.
• Getting even more specific, the author’s of the so-called “dirty dozen” list will realize that it is in the consumers’ best interest to no longer release or promote this list. Especially since peer reviewed research has found that the list’s recommended substitutions of organic produce for conventional does not result in any decrease in consumer risk because residues on conventionally grown produce are so very low, if present at all.
• We will see daily produce consumption rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control only one in 10 Americans eat enough each day despite the decades of nutritional studies which prove the significant health benefits of consuming more.
• There will be continued and enhanced recognition for the hard work and dedication by produce farmers and farm workers who provide a consistent supply of the healthiest foods available. These farmers and farm workers nurture, grow and harvest the only food group that health and nutrition experts universally agree we should eat more of every day.  And since their families are their first consumers, safety is a continuous priority.

The past year has shown how important science is to help guide our decisions regarding health and safety.  So our final hope for 2021 is that the facts and decades of science-based information about the safety of produce can help consumers make the right shopping choices for themselves and their families.  Because the science clearly shows that you can choose organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with confidence – both are safe and nutritious and the right decision is to always eat more.