Eat Seasonably
The first we will if you will campaign aims to create an unprecedented movement that starts to reconnect people with their food and the seasons in which it grows. It launched in spring 2009.
The campaign is designed to inspire and enable people to eat more locally in season fruit and vegetables, and assist them to grow their own. The pilot phase of Eat Seasonably saw a coalition of major businesses and civil society organisations launch a period of practical, additional, collaborative activity supported by Defra funding.
Behaviour Change are now working with partners on the 2010 campaign.
Visit the campaign website: www.eatseasonably.co.uk
Why seasonal fruit and vegetables?
- Around a fifth of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions are associated with our food and drink: the food choices people make every day have a significant impact on the environment and society.
- To take consumers on a positive journey towards a more sustainable diet, we need to start with something simple and inspiring, that begins to make connections between what people eat and the impact it has. This first stage is as much about social and cultural change as it is maximizing environmental benefits.
- Eating locally in season food is one of Defra’s Pro-Environmental behaviours and an accessible first step towards wider sustainable behaviours.
Campaign results
Already, in addition to our 40 launch partners, over 100 small businesses and community organisations have contacted us looking to promote Eat Seasonably and use the campaign materials. With our messages reaching nearly 40 million people, we have seen unprecedented growth of the Grow Your Own movement, helped move the issue of seasonal food from the food pages to the news pages, and have succeeded in turning Defra’s attention to the issue of how to increase UK production of fruit and vegetables.
The campaign has been shortlisted for 3 Green Awards. A full evaluation is now close to completion and will be published on this site.
