Ten years of five-a-day policy in the UK: Nutritional outcomes and environmental effects

This paper estimates the impact of policy measures aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption in the UK over more than a decade, evaluating changes in purchased quantities and estimating the corresponding greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs). We use a counterfactual scenario analysis to isolate the effects of the policy from the influences of evolving prices, incomes and socio-demographic factors. Our estimates suggest that the positive effects of the promotion campaigns on F&V purchases (about half a portion per adult equivalent per day) still persist 10 years after the start of the policy implementation, and we find no evidence of a wearout effect. We also provide suggestive evidence that the dietary adjustment which accompanies the increase in F&V intakes translates into a relevant reduction in GHGEs, by an average amount of 3.3kg of CO2e per adult equivalent per month.