A three year EU and industry funded campaign, implemented by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, has launched today in a bid to encourage millennials to increase their fruit and veg intake. The Life is Better with Fruit and Vegetables campaign aims to promote the dietary benefits and sustainability of fresh, locally grown, in season produce to millennials who are seen as a key influencing group in society. The campaign’s objective is to educate 25-34 year old millennials across Ireland, encouraging them to prepare healthy meals and live a healthier lifestyle, using sustainably sourced, locally grown in-season produce. Research carried out as part of the Life is Better campaign in Europe uncovered that 56% of Irish millennials said they eat fresh fruit and vegetables because of the health benefits associated with fresh, local produce. Currently the average number of actual portions for fruit and vegetables for millennials in Ireland is 3.2 portions whereas the government recommends up to 7 per day. Research from the Bord Bia Fresh Produce Report 2020 found that 69% of 16-34 ‘home cooks’ get inspiration for the meals they cook from social media. Fun, educational and feel-good information and recipe inspiration will be available on the soon to be launched campaign website fruitnveg.ie and will also be shared via Instagram and Facebook.
“We are incredibly excited to launch the Life is Better Campaign to help to educate our 25–34 year olds to cook with our locally grown seasonal produce. We understand a stumbling block to enjoying fruit and vegetables is cooking knowledge, particularly for time limited young professionals and parents. Taken together with engrained consumption habits we really feel we can deliver delicious food and improve the health of the nation. Previous EU funded campaigns focusing on potatoes and mushrooms have been well received with the public and we are now again keen to showcase the full range of fruit and vegetables that are professionally grown by our skilled fresh produce an even fuller range across the country.”
Life is Better with Fruit and Vegetables was launched in Dublin restaurant, Bites by Kwanghi – owned by campaign ambassador, Kwanghi Chan. The Asian restaurateur and TV personality joins chef Eoin Sheehan, Instagram influencers Rachel Hornibrook and foodie duo the GastroGays as campaign ambassadors who will partner with Bord Bia over the next three years to create recipes to inspire millennials. One particular input Kwangi will bring to the campaign will be to show millennials all of the exciting ways to bring fruit and vegetables into Asian inspired food. A series of exciting events will partner with Bord Bia on this campaign, kickstarting with Body & Soul Festival on 17-19 June 2022.
The campaign runs from March 2022 to February 2025 and is implemented by Bord Bia – the Irish Food Board in Ireland, Interfel and AIB in France and Freshfel Europe.