After reading the Biden/Harris Administration statement on the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health, our first thought was how important farmers of fruits and vegetables are to the health of this nation.

As we saw firsthand during the recent Safe Fruits and Veggies Farm Tour in the San Joaquin Valley of California, farmers and farm workers continue to grow these nutrient-dense, safe foods for consumers despite significant challenges like drought and climate change, the pandemic and rising prices.

But if we are to meet the White House Conference goals, increasing the amount as well as access to affordable fruits and vegetables will be needed and we must support our farmers.

From the Biden/Harris Statement:

• The consequences of food insecurity and diet-related diseases are significant, far reaching, and disproportionately impact historically underserved communities.
• The U.S. has yet to end hunger and is facing an urgent, nutrition-related health crisis—the rising prevalence of diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and certain cancers.

Among the White House goals underscoring the importance of plentiful and affordable fruits and vegetables:

• Improving food access and affordability, including increasing access to free and nourishing school meals and expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP).
• Integrating nutrition and health by working with Congress to pilot coverage of medically tailored meals in Medicare.
• Empowering all consumers to make and have access to healthy choices, including expanding incentives for fruits and vegetables in SNAP.
• Enhancing nutrition and food security research, particularly on issues of equity and access and implementing a vision for advancing nutrition science.

To improve diets and health another practice must stop – intentionally working to raise inaccurate fears about the safety of the more affordable, accessible and popular fruits and vegetables.  Not only is this disrespectful to farmers and farm workers, tactics to promote one production method over another through fear-based messaging are outmoded and harm efforts to increase consumption.  In fact, peer reviewed research has shown that this messaging results in low income consumers stating they are less likely to purchase any produce – conventional or organic.

Supporting consumer choice to purchase produce they enjoy and is affordable and accessible for them is an important way to support farmers. Supporting our farmers’ choice in their safe and effective growing practices is important too since studies and government sampling programs prove both organic and conventional fruits and vegetables are safe and can be eaten with confidence.

If we are to meet the White House goals, groups must stop discouraging produce consumption by promoting inaccurate safety claims.  Imagine what could be done if these groups used their considerable resources to encourage increased consumption of fruits and vegetables instead? This would truly be a substantial way to support the work of farmers and farm workers while simultaneously benefitting consumers and public health.