Vegetable seed and crop protection specialist Bayer Crop Science has become the latest company to join the Veg Power membership programme.
The organisation’s work to increase vegetable consumption in the UK is now supported by 25 organisations from across the horticulture sector, including grocers, growers and suppliers.
For Bayer Crop Science it also provides the opportunity to promote ‘Vegetables by Bayer’, its new global brand for the Seminis and De Ruiter portfolios.
Veg Power was founded in 2019 to help reverse the current low levels of vegetable consumption in the UK that are not meeting government recommendations.
Almost a third (29 per cent) of primary school aged children are eating less than one portion of veg aday, decreasingto just 23 per cent of 11-16 year olds.Meanwhile, only a third of adults are achieving the 5-a-day target.
To support their work, Veg Powerlaunched a unique whole-sector membership programme in Q4 2020.In return, its members are provided with a direct stake in the future of the campaign together with a range of benefits including exclusive industry briefings and market insight reports to help members capitalise on emerging trends within the industry.
Dan Parker, Chief Executive, Veg Power, said:“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Bayer Crop Science on board and extend our membership to 25 different organisations from the horticulture sector.
“Thanks to this combined across-sector funding we are able to focus on our mission of encouraging and supporting the UK to eat more veg via a range of creative campaigns including our festive sprout recipe card to put some Christmas cheer into food parcels.”
Marion McPherson, head of the crop science division for Bayer UK, added: “We work closely with growers to create crop varieties that meet their needs while having strong appeal to consumers and we have been searching for an initiative that supports growers in other ways.
“Veg Power has developed into a platform that promotes the role of vegetables in sustaining a healthy diet to all of society. This fits well with our vision of health for all, hunger for none, so we are proud to support it.”
