Fruits and vegetables (F&V) are important crops to be stimulated. However, few studies have been done to provide a solid overview of the sector based on large-scale surveys. In 2018, a research note has been finalized that showed the high costs of fruits and vegetables in the food basket of the poorest segment of the Ethiopian population. Inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables is recognized as an important risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (Forouzanfar et al. 2015). Despite the protective effects of fruits and vegetables for micronutrient deficiencies and chronic diseases, intake is still far below the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommendation of 146 kg per year or at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables per day (Micha et al. 2015; Hall et al. 2009). Ethiopia is among the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with the lowest intake of fruits and vegetables. In Ethiopia, cereals and pulses largely dominate food consumption baskets, while the consumption of animal-sourced foods and fruits and vegetables is rare (Hirvonen et al. 2016; Worku et al. 2016).
Research by ESSP is ongoing to understand the portfolio of Fruits and Vegetables: markets, price trends, change over seasons, consumption patterns, prices and incomes. In preparation for this, a comprehensive survey with farmers, traders and retailers is planned for the first quarter of this year. Currently, a training of the field staff is being conducted which aims at helping enumerators to build and improve their data collection and management skills through Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). This is a an interviewing technique in which the respondent or interviewer uses an electronic device to answer the questions.
Richard Bitting